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A Study of the Pottery Inscription “ 文邑 ”

A Study of the Pottery Inscription “Wen Yi 文邑 ”

Feng *

Key words: – Taosi Site (Xiangfen , ) Flasks Scripts ()

Since the publishing, the red ink-written inscription we know that this has close relationship with Culture. (Figure 1; 2001) on pottery flask unearthed from Pit It is well known that the discovery of H4303 at Taosi Site, , Shanxi Prov- was essential for the identification of the natures of ince attracted much attention of academic field. This Culture; then, that whether the Taosi scripts have the flask was dated as the 20th century BCE, which was in same significance to the nature of Taosi Culture is a the chronological scope of the . Because of question to which we are eager to get the answers. the studies to the worshipping of God of Land of the The red ink-written inscription of Taosi Culture be- Xia Dynasty and the relevant history facts (Feng 2002a), longed to the same with the of the Dynasty, therefore they could also be seen as the prototype of (Feng 2002b); for this reason, we can decode the Taosi in- scription with the assistance of oracle bone scripts. As for the two characters 2 in this inscription, the first is identified Figure 2. The “ as “Wen 文”without disagreement ( )”as the among the researchers, but the decipher- Phonetic ing of the second has many Component of contradicting results: for example, some 1 3 “Yang (饧)” scholars decipher it as “Yang (Luo in Bronze In- 2001)”, some scholars explained it as Figure 1. The Red Ink-Written Character of Taosi Culture scription 1. From Li, Jianmin 2001 2 and 3. Traced by (From Ling令 “ 尧 ( 2007)”. However, the form the Author -tripod) of (Figure 2) in the Shang and inscriptions did not match the form of this character. On the other hand, the composition of Yao 尧 was that one or two “ 土 (Earth)”were set on top and a “ 人 (Human being)”was set below them (Figure 3). No matter in 1 3 5 2 4 oracle bone scripts or in bronze inscriptions, the“Tu 土”was all in the Figure 3. The Ancient Forms of the Character “Yao 尧” shape of “ ” or “ ”, like tumulus 1. From No. 9379 of Jiaguwen Heji 甲骨文合集 2. From the Inscription of piled up out of the horizon, because of Yao 尧 3. From Manuscript 4. From pt. 3 of the Qiong Da yi Shi 穷达以时 (Misery and Success Depend on the Age) Section of the which the “tumulus”could by no Guodian Chu Slips 5. From pt. 7 of the 六德 (The Six means separate from the “horizon”. Virtues) Section of the Guodian Chu Bamboo Slips Therefore, the upper part of the second

* The Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, , 100710

170 Chinese Archaeology Feng Shi

character was absolutely not“ Tu 土”and certainly the and 伊尹 ’s announcement quoted by the Chap- whole character could not be “Yao 尧”at all. ter Zi Yi 缁衣 (the Black Robes) of Liji 礼记 (Book of In my opinion, the second character of the Taosi pot- Rites), the capital of the Xia Dynasty was all mentioned tery inscription should be“ Yi 邑”. In the ancient scripts, as Xia Yi 夏邑 or Xi Yi Xia 西邑夏; in Chapters Yi was combined by“口‘( ’, ideographic indica- Shi 牧誓 (King ’s Speech at Mu) and Duo Shi 多士 tor of enclosing border or an enclosed scope)”and “人 ‘( Ren’, Human being)”, usually written like“ ”; and the prototype of this character was in a coarse shape. Hereby I select some cases from the bronze inscriptions of the (Figure 4). All of them were composed of“口” and“人” , but of the ones of the two Yi -cups, the heads of the“人” part had been simplified from an imitation of human head into a dash, especially the first one (Figure 4:1, No. 7589 of Yin Zhou Jinwen Jicheng 殷周金文集成), 1 which had almost identical shape and composition with the second character of Taosi pottery inscription, what slightly different was that the dash (head) of the“人” part of Taosi pottery inscription was separated from the body because of the writing strokes. Both of the charac- ters on the Jue-cups were identified as“Yi 邑”in Jinwen Bian 金文编 ( of Bronze Inscription, by Rong ), which are correct. Based on these 2 3 evidences, the two characters of Taosi pottery inscrip- tion can be deciphered as “Wen Yi 文邑.” Figure 4. The Character “Yi (邑)”in Bronze Inscriptions of the Shang Dynasty The name “Wen Yi”has been seen in the oracle 1. Yi (邑) from Yi Jue-cup (No. 7589 of Yin Zhou Jinwen bone inscriptions of the Shang Dynasty (Figure 5). The Jicheng 殷周金文集成) 2. Yi (邑) from Yi Jue-cup (No. divination words were: 7588 of Yin Zhou Jinwen Jicheng殷周金文集成) 3. Yi 癸酉卜, 贞: 文邑[受]禾? (Cracked on the day guiyou, Yin (邑尹) from Yi Yin -vessel, No. 83 of Liusan tested: [Would] Wen Yi [get] a bumper crop? – No. Yin Zhou Qingtongqi Jilu 流散欧美殷周 33243 of Jiaguwen Heji 甲骨文合集 [Collection of the 有铭青铜器集录 (A Selection of Early Chinese Bronzes with Inscriptions from Sotheby’s and Christie’s Sales) Oracle Bone Inscriptions]) □酉卜, [贞]: 文邑受禾? □□卜, [贞: 文] 邑受禾? (Cracked on the day [certain heavenly stem and] you, tested: [Would] Wen Yi get a bumper crop? ...cracked on certain day, tested: [Would Wen] Yi get a bumper crop? – No. 33242 of 甲骨文合集) Wen Yi 文邑 should be the name of a city referring to the capital of the Xia Dynasty. Historic literatures have ex- act records that the capitals of the Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties were all 2 1 called “Yi 邑”: in Chapters Tang Shi

汤誓 (the Speech of Tang) and Duo Figure 5. The Name “Wen Yi (文邑)”in Oracle Bones and Shells 多方 (the Numerous Regions) of 1. From No. 33243 of Jiaguwen Heji 甲骨文合集 2. From No. 33242 of Shangshu 尚书 () Jiaguwen Heji 甲骨文合集

Volume 9 171 A Study of the Pottery Inscription “Wen Yi 文邑 ”

(the Numerous Officers) of Shangshu and the ode Yin Sometimes the Xia Dynasty did have a prefix Wen Wu 殷武 (King Wuding’s Martial Merit) of Shang and was called Wen Xia, which might be derived from 商颂 (Sacrificial Odes of Shang) in Shijing 诗经 (Book an archaic system or custom; however, this title can be of Poetry), the oracle bone inscriptions of the Shang seen in the bronze inscriptions of the Shang Dynasty, Dynasty and the bronze inscriptions of the such as: Dynasty, the capitals of the Shang Dynasty were all The Wen Xia Ding Gui 簋 -vessel of the Shang mentioned as Shang Yi 商邑, Da Yi Shang 大邑商 or Dynasty had inscription saying Wen Xia Fu Ding 文夏 Yi Shang 天邑商; moreover, the capital established 父丁 (Father Ding of Wen Xia, No. 3312 of 殷周金文 by King Wen of the Western was men- 集成) on both the body and the lid; another Wen Xia Fu tioned as Feng Yi 丰邑 in the ode Wenwang You Ding You 卣-jar of the Shang Dynasty also had the same 文王有声 (the Praise of King Wen) of Daya 大雅 (the inscription on both the body and lid (No. 5155 of 殷周 Greater Odes of the Kingdom) in Shijing; Chengzhou 金文集成). 成周, the new capital built by King of the West- The original form of the character “Xia 夏”was ern Zhou Dynasty was mentioned as 洛邑, written as “ ” composed of “Ri 日 (the )”and Yi 新邑 (lit. “New City”) or Xin Da Yi 新大邑 (lit. “ 页 (the head)” (Tang 1999). This character was also “New Great City”) in Chapters 召诰 (the seen in the oracle bone inscriptions as the name of a Announcement of the Duke of Shao), Luo Gao 洛诰 clan. It is noted in Yuanhe Zuan 元和姓纂 (Yuanhe (the Announcement concerning Luo), Gao 康诰 Compilation of ) that “(the surname) Xia is (the Announcement to the Prince of Kang), Duo Shi and the descendant of the clan of the Xia Dynasty’s monarch, Duo Fang of Shangshu, and as Da Yi Zhou 大邑周 in and this surname is given after the title of the dynasty.” Shangshu quoted by Chapter Wengong xia 滕文 Then “Wen Xia”would be the name of a clan who 公下 (Duke Wen of Teng pt. 2) of 孟子; in was the descendant of the Xia Dynasty and named them- Western Zhou bronze inscriptions, the terms“ Xin Yi” selves after the dynasty, and revealed that the Xia Dy- and“Chengzhou”were also not rare. Xin Yi was not a nasty was also called Wen Xia in the early ages. proper name but just a term referring to any new-built The title “Wen Xia”ought to be related to the fact settlement used in all periods; for example, the“ Xin Yi” that Xia was the descendant of 禹 the Great. The in Chapter Pangeng 盘庚 of Shangshu meant Yin, the 杞 State enfeoffed by the Shang and Zhou Dynasties new capital built by King Pangeng of the Shang Dynasty. was all because it was treated as the successor of Yu the When King Wen set his capital at Feng, his dynasty had Great. The inscription of Shuyi Bell cast in the Spring- not been founded, and therefore his “Yi”was just and-Autumn Period also mentioned that the Shang an- named after the old name of the capital seat as “Feng nexed the Xia Dynasty and“ Chu Yu 处禹之堵 Yi 丰邑”. All of these proved that the capitals of the (settled down in Yu’s territory)”, which meant that Yu Three Dynasties were called as Yi 邑 and prefixed by the Great was the ancestor of the Xia Dynasty. the dynasty title: Xia Yi 夏邑, Shang Yi 商邑, It is seen in historic literature that the name of Yu the Chengzhou 成周 and Zongzhou 宗周 built by King Wu Great was Wenming 文命 (see Chapters Wu De 五 of the Western Zhou Dynasty were all the capitals of 帝德 [the Virtue of the Five ] and Dixi 帝系 the Three Dynasties. It is glossed in Chapter Jingshi京 [the Genealogy of the Emperors]) of Da Liji 大戴 师 (the Capital) of Baihu 白虎通 (Po--Tung, 礼记 ( by Elder Dai). The extant versions the Comprehensive Discussions in the Hall) of Liji (Book of Rites) were compiled by the two Dais that “或曰: 夏曰夏邑, 殷曰商邑, 周曰京师 (Another in the Middle Western Dynasty, but the materials opinion is: [The capital] under the Xia was called Xia they referred to were the old versions written with the Yi; under the Yin it was called Shang Yi; and under the extinct scripts of the Warring-States Period, and the study Zhou it was called Jingshi. English translated by Tjan summaries of the Confucian disciples have been found Tjoe Som).”This opinion was slightly different from in the bamboo slips of the Warring-States Period un- the capital system in early Western Zhou Dynasty. earthed recently, which proved that this thought and story Clearly, if the“ Wen Yi 文邑” in Taosi pottery inscrip- have been formed in the pre- period. Da Dai Liji tion referred to a city name, then the “Wen 文”ought announced that it was who mentioned Yu the to be the title of the Xia Dynasty. Great’s name as Wenming; this is not groundless.

172 Chinese Archaeology Feng Shi

Qian also wrote in Xia Benji 夏本纪 (Basic Annals of Kingdoms Period, interpreted Wen 文 as “De zhi Xia) that“ Xia’s Yu, his name was Wenming”, directly Zongming ye 德之总名也 (the general term of all following Confucian suggestion. In his Jingdian Shiwen virtues)”. Liu also explained in Chapter Xiuwen 经典释文 (Annotation of Classics), Deming of the 修文 (Cultivating the Wen) of his Shuoyuan 说苑 also pointed out that ’s name (Garden of Anecdotes) that “Wen, De zhi Zhi ye 文, was Wenming was the common knowledge of the past 德之至也 (Wen is the ultimate attainment of virtues)”. Confucian scholars. The Chapter Dayu 大禹谟 (the In the Shifa 谥法 (Rules of Posthumous Naming) of Yi Counsels of Yu the Great) in the pseudo old text of Zhoushu (逸周书), the monarchs who could be given Shangshu said “曰若稽古大禹, 曰: 文命敷于四海， Wen 文 as should be“道德博厚 承于帝 (On examining into antiquity, we find that (with profound morals and virtues)”. Moreover, both the Yu the Great was called Wenming. Having arranged and inscription of Bingong 公 -vessel and the Chap- divided the Empire, all to the seas, in reverent response ter Wu Di De 五帝德 of Da Dai Liji 大戴礼记 recorded to the inquiries of the former – English transla- the story about Yu established the humanity rules and tion by )”; the commentary attributed to paid attention to moral education, which was the origin Anguo glossed the “Wenming”in this sentence of the virtue-teaching of the Xia people; all of the evi- as“文德教命 (his accomplished virtue and the lessons dences from early antiquity proved that it was the tradi- of his teaching were spread abroad to the four seas – tional viewpoint that Yu strongly emphasized the Wen- English by James Legge)”， that was the much virtue and morality, therefore this can be authentic later interpretation to Yu’s name. Obviously, Wenming history. Then, the historic fact was that because Yu the as Yu’s name adequately reflected the virtue-teaching Great established and proclaimed the virtue-teaching thoughts of the Xia people. system, his descendants named him as Wenming 文命 The Wen 文 in Taosi pottery inscription has strong (lit. Humanity Proclamation) and entitled the Xia Dy- relation to Wenming as Yu’s name. Of course, this name nasty as Wen Xia 文夏. Ruled by this idea, the capital might be a summery made by Yu’s descendants for Xia’s of the Xia Dynasty could be named with the most sym- viewpoint of virtue-teaching. It is noted in Chapter Biaoji bolic character in its ancestor’s or dynasty’s names, 表记 (the Record on Example) of Liji 礼记 (Book of which was Wen, and called as Wen Yi 文邑, just as be- Rites) that “Under the Xia Dynasty it was the way to cause the Shang people was worshipping the spiritual give honor to the nature conferred on men; they served beings and ignoring the human rules, the capitals of the the manes of the departed, and respected Spiritual Shang Dynasty was named Tian Yi 天邑 (City of Beings, keeping them at a distance, while they brought Heaven). Therefore, the Taosi pottery inscription Wen the people near, and made them loyal; ...... under the Yin Yi was actually meaning “the Capital of Xia”. Dynasty, they honored Spiritual Beings, and led the In the Shang Dynasty, the old Xia capital was still people on to serve them; they put first the service of called“ Wen Yi”; the old Xia capital was also called as their manes, and last the usages of ceremony...... (夏道 “Xi Yi Xia 西邑夏 (lit. The West City of Xia)”in his- 尊命, 事鬼敬神而远之, 近人而忠焉...... 殷人尊神, 率 toric literature, and the name“ Xi Yi 西邑 (lit. The West 民以事神, 先鬼而后礼 – English translated by James City)”was also seen in the Shang oracle bone Legge)”; it also mentioned that the Xia kept the spiri- inscriptions. tual beings at a distance while brought the people near – 贞: 方? (Tested: Bestow the Qiong Fang-state? paid more attention to the people than to the deities, and – No. 6156 of Jiaguwen Heji 甲骨文合集, obverse) this is also the original meaning of Wenming 文命. The 贞: 于西邑? (Tested: Holding Ceremony in prototype of Wen 文 in Chinese characters was written Xi Yi? – ibid.) in the shape of “ ”, just like a heart in a house, cor- 贞: ㄓ (侑) 于西邑? (Tested: Having an amnesty in rectly reflecting the Xia people’s primitive thought of Xi Yi? – No. 7865 of Jiaguwen Heji 甲骨文合集) virtue and humanities. It was mentioned in Zhouyu Xia The Qiong Fang-state in the Shang Dynasty was 周语下 (Discourses of Zhou, Part III) of 国语 in the south of present-day Shanxi Province; that the (Discourses on the States) that“ Wen zhi ye 文之 divination to Qiong Fang-state was made together with 恭也 (courteousness, one of the virtues of Wen – Xi Yi implied that these two places were located very Humanities)”. 韦昭, a historian in the Three- close; therefore, Wen Yi and Xi Yi should refer to the

Volume 9 173 A Study of the Pottery Inscription “Wen Yi 文邑 ”

same place, which was the old capital of the Xia Dynasty; were the states (fiefs) enfeoffed to the royal kindred or sometimes the Shang people called it “Xi Yi”, while other nobles. In this sense, Yi 邑 was used to call the sometimes also called it by the old name “Wen Yi”. capital vicinity and Guo 国 was used to call the enfeoffed According to the rules of the Three Dynasties, the states in the outer domain. Da Yi Shang, which was concepts of Yi 邑 and Guo 郭 were strictly distinguished; called “Shang Yi 商邑”in Jiu Gao (酒诰, Announce- the original form of the character Yi was composed of ment about Drunkenness), was located at Yinxu, but the an enclosed area on top and a kneeling human figure at territory occupied by the states surrounding it was much bottom, therefore the original meaning of Yi was larger. According to the feudal rules, the Yi inhabited “settlement inhabited by human beings”. On the other by the king was guarded by the feudal lords, therefore hand, the Guo was written as “ ”, show- the capital Yi was not only the residence of the royal ing a wall-enclosed city with gate towers on all sides. family but also the symbol of the dynasty. This situa- Their contrast tells us that the difference of Yi 邑 and tion showed that the idea of “ruling the realm by set- Guo 郭 was that Guo had walls surrounding it and Yi tling down in the middle”was inherent to the rulers of was dwelling area without enclosing walls. In oracle the Three Dynasties, and the position of Yi as the core bone inscriptions, we can see different divinations about of the states was reflected clearly not only by the struc- “ Yi 作邑”and “Zuo Guo 作郭”: “Zuo Guo” ture of the character Guo 国 (state) but also by the po- meant constructing city walls and “Zuo Yi”meant litical view and realities. Walls were built for defense; building settlements without walls. The capital of the the royal capital, which was screened by the enfeoffed Shang Dynasty, so-called “Da Yi Shang 大邑商” did states, did not need to build wall to guard against attacks. not have walls enclosed; the capital of King Wen of the It was noted in the Fourth Year of Duke Ding 定 of the Western Zhou Dynasty, the Feng Yi 丰邑 to the west of Lu State of 左传 that“昔武王克商, 成王 Feng River, and the new capital built by King Cheng of 定之, 选建明德, 以蕃屏周 (When King Wu had sub- the Western Zhou Dynasty, Luo Yi 洛邑 did not have dued Shang, King Cheng completed the establishment walls discovered so far; therefore, the Yi 邑 should be of the new dynasty, and chose and appointed [the princes settlements without walls, and the enclosing line “口” of] intelligent virtue, to act as bulwarks and screens to as component of Yi 邑 was actually the pictogram of Zhou. – English translation by James Legge)”, and the trenches or just imaginary border surrounding the phases of “ Wei 屏王位 (Screen the settlement. Historic literature also had proofs for this Throne)”and“Ping Wei 屏朕位 (Screen Our suggestion. In short, that the Yi 邑 was settlement with- Throne)”are usually seen in bronze inscriptions of the out enclosing walls was general rule of the Three Western Zhou Dynasty; both reflected the fundamental Dynasties, which implies that Wen Yi, the capital of the reason why the royal capitals were built as Yi without Xia Dynasty, was also this type of settlement. walls. Of course, the Wen Yi in Taosi pottery inscrip- Apart from the different building rules, what more tion should refer to the capital of the Xia Dynasty, which important is that all of the central settlements, or capi- was the settlement inhabited by the Xia royal family. tals of the dynasties where the rulers inhabited, of the At present, the scholars in relevant disciplines have Three Dynasties were built as the form of Yi. As the the agreement that the remains of Taosi Culture could center of the realm, the capital Yi had symbol of the be dated into the early, middle and later phases. As the core or center in spatial structure: this viewpoint was C14 dating data, the early phase of Taosi Culture was in deeply rooted in the people of the Three Dynasties, and the 24–22 centuries BCE, the middle phase was in the reflected the unique political system of this period. The 22–21 centuries BCE and the later phase, 21–20 centu- paleographic and historical philological researches ries BCE. The city walls found at Taosi Site belonged to showed that the political center of the Shang Dynasty the early and middle phases and the pottery inscription was “Da Yi Shang 大邑商”, and the territory beyond “Wen Yi 文邑”belonged to the later phase. The curl- Da Yi Shang was divided into Guo 国 (states) and ing design found in the relics of the early and enfeoffed to the royal kindred or other elite feudal lords. middle phases showed the cultural connotation of Yu Therefore, the Shang Dynasty was a political entity con- the Great; clearly, the remains of She 社 (shrine for God sisting of the Nei Fu 内服 (Inner Domain), which was of Land) of the early phase of Taosi Culture should be- Da Yi Shang, and the Wai Fu (Outer Domain), which to the Xia Culture of Yu the Great. Moreover, the

174 Chinese Archaeology Feng Shi relationship between the city wall remains of the early system, and the founding of the first hereditary dynasty and middle phases of Taosi Culture and Wen Yi actu- in the . ally embodied the evolution from Yangcheng, the capi- The change from abdication system to hereditary sys- tal of Yu the Great, to Wen Yi, the capital of the Xia tem was completed by Qi with violence. As the historic Dynasty. literature, when Yu the Great set his capital in According to historic literatures, Yangcheng 阳城, Yangcheng, he chose Gaoyao 皋陶 and Yi 益 as suc- the capital of Yu the Great, was located at Xiaxu (Xia cessors at different times, and still planned to practice Ruins) in the south of present-day Shanxi Province (Ting abdication; but Qi destroyed the abdication system with 1935). Yangcheng has the term “Cheng 城”in its revolutionary means and formally established the Xia name, from which we know that it had been enclosed by Dynasty with hereditary throne. The large amount of walls. This means that either by nature or by location, traces of violence found in the remains of the later phase the wall-enclosed settlement of the early and middle of Taosi Culture perhaps confirmed this historical event. phases of Taosi Culture closely matched Yangcheng seen Some scholars have concluded the violence traces in historic literatures. Therefore, we can infer that the found in the later phase of Taosi Culture into six aspects: walled city in the early and middle phases of Taosi Cul- flatting city walls, demolishing palaces, slaughtering ture was Yangcheng, the capital of Yu the Great. able-bodied men, raping women, destroying ancestral But to the later phase of Taosi Culture, the walls built temples and looting mausoleums (Wang 2007). Clearly, in the early and middle phases were all superimposed or these violence phenomena counter to the zeitgeist intruded by strata, pit or other remains, which meant of the Yao-Shun Age in abdication stage and showed that in this phase, the city wall had been abandoned the turning point of political system at the time of which (Shanxi Xiangfen 2005). The pottery inscription“ Wen Qi seized the royal power with violence and changed Yi”emerged at this time, however, just implied that the the abdication system into hereditary system. Xia people’s abandoning of Yangcheng was also their First, the historical interpretation to the flatting city construction of Xia capital – Wen Yi, and proved that walls might be that Qi ruined the ready Yangcheng and the so-called Wen Yi was a city (or settlement) without built Xia Yi (Wen Yi) for the founding of the Xia walls enclosed. The new text Zhushu Jinian 竹书纪年 Dynasty. Yi was a ruler whose power was abdicated, () noted that Qi 启, the king of the Xia therefore his capital city, Yangcheng, naturally could Dynasty, was enthroned in Xia Yi 夏邑 and attributed not be used as the symbol of the new dynasty; Xia Yi and Yangcheng as the same place, which might accordingly, his palaces could not be kept for the new be historic fact. Yangcheng, as reflected by the term hereditary rulers either. Therefore, Qi redesigned Cheng 城 in its name, was a wall-enclosed city; Xia Yi, Yangcheng as Wen Yi and in fact initiated the new rules also as reflected by the term Yi 邑 in its name, was a for capital designing in the Three Dynasties period. settlement without walls enclosed. Obviously, the evo- Second, from the rubbish ditch HG8 of the later phase lutions from Yu the Great to Qi, and from Yangcheng in of Taosi Culture discovered in IT6026, not only large the early phase of Taosi Culture to Wen Yi built in the amount of half-processed stone flakes were unearthed, later phase of Taosi Culture based on the site of but five layers of human skulls, more than 30 in total, Yangcheng, closely tallied with the vicissitude of Taosi and human bones belonging to at least 40–50 individu- Culture and the social system reforms revealed by als were found. The human bones had clear dismember- archaeology. ing traces, and many of the skulls had hammering and The great social reforms shown by the evolution from picking traces; of these skulls, six were chopped-off Yangcheng Age in the early and middle phases to Wen complete or incomplete mask-shaped facial skeletons. Yi Age in the later phase of Taosi Culture, as displayed Physical tests showed that most of these skulls and bones by results of archaeological work, occurred in the later were that of adolescent or adult men. This slaughtering phase of Taosi Culture. In other words, the constructing to strong male people might be the reflection of Qi’s of Wen Yi in this phase was not only the abandoning of forces’ massacre to Yi’s forces, which was also noted in old Yangcheng, but also, and more important, the - historic literature as Qi murdered Yi and enthroned ing of political system, which was the abolishing of the himself. abdication system and the establishing of the hereditary Third, in the ash pit IT5126H68 ⑧, an intact female

Volume 9 175 A Study of the Pottery Inscription “Wen Yi 文邑 ” skeleton was found; her neck was broken and an ox horn of Taosi Culture. This evolution symbolized the formal was plugged in her vagina. Vagina is reproductive organ, founding of the first hereditary dynasty in the history of so to plug the reproductive organ would be a penalty as China at the later phase of Taosi Culture, which was in the castration in later periods, which was a punishment the 21st century BCE, matching the era of the Xia Dy- with meaning of letting the punished people heirless. nasty believed by the traditional historians. To be heirless meant the end of ancestor worshipping References ceremonies (done by the descendants, therefore this cer- emony represents the family continuity). The inscrip- Feng, Shi 冯时. 2002a. Xia She Kao 夏社考 “[ She (God of the tion of the Yi 叔夷 Bell of the Spring-and-Autumn Land)”of the Xia Dynasty]. In Institute of Archaeology, Period mentioned that Tang 汤 subdued the Xia Dynasty CASS [ed]. 21 Shiji Zhongguo Kaoguxue yu Kaoguxue 21 世纪中国考古学与世界考古学 (Chinese and discontinued the ancestor worshipping of Xia’s royal Archaeology and World Archaeology in the 20th [sic] family, and that of the Yu 盂 Ding-tripod mentioned Century). Beijing: Zhongguo Shehui Kexue Chubanshe. pp. that the Zhou Dynasty subdued the Shang Dynasty, an- 223–37. nihilated its army and discontinued its ancestor worship- Feng, Shi 冯时. 2002b. Wenzi Qiyuan yu Yi Xia Dong Xi 文字 ping ceremonies: both of these inscriptions emphasized 起源与夷夏东西 (The Relationship between the Theory of the symbolic significance of discontinuing ancestor Yi in the East and Xia in the West and the Origin of - worshipping ceremonies (i.e. making heirless) to a sub- nese Characters). Zhongguo Shehui Kexueyuan Gudai dued dynasty. Qi, for founding a new hereditary dynasty, Wenming Yanjiu Zhongxin Tongxun 中国社会科学院古代 discontinued the non-Xia ancestor worshipping 文明研究中心通讯 (Bulletin of the Research Center for ceremonies. In this sense, destroying ancestral temples Ancient Civilizations, CASS) 3: 57–9. and looting mausoleums had the same meaning. He, Nu 何驽. 2007. Taosi Yizhi Bianhu Zhushu “Wen”Zi According to new text Zhushu Jinian 竹书纪年, af- Xintan 陶寺遗址扁壶朱书“文”字新探 (New Explora- tion on the Red-ink Written“ Wen” on the Flask unearthed ter building the Xia Yi, Qi went back to Du 冀都 and form Taosi). In Xiangfen Taosi Yizhi Yanjiu 襄汾陶寺遗址 feasted his vassals on Terrace 台; this implied 研究 (Researches on Taosi Site, Xiangfen). Beijing: Kexue that the political center of the Xia Dynasty was not in Chubanshe. pp. 633–6; , Yinghui 葛英会. 2007. Poyi Di Wen Yi. Gui Cang 归藏 attributed the Ji Du to Jinxu 晋 Yao Minghao, Tuijin Wenming Tanyuan 破译帝尧名号, 推 墟, whose location just matched the Nanshi 南石 – 进文明探源 (Decoding the Appellation of Fangcheng 方城 Site crossing Quwo 曲沃 and Yicheng and Accelerating the Exploration of Civilizations). Gudai 翼城 of Shanxi Province (Shanxi Yicheng Wenming Yanjiu Tongxun 古代文明研究通讯 (Ancient 1996). Perhaps the so-called Ji Du, to which Qi went Civilization Review) 32: 1–6. back, was in the present-day Yicheng; because the shapes Li, Jianmin 李健民. 2001. Taosi Yizhi Chutu de Zhushu“ Wen” of Ji 冀 and Yi 翼 are similar, a wrong transcription Zi Bianhu 陶寺遗址出土的朱书“文”字扁壶 (On the Flat Bottle written with Red-ink Character Wen Exca- might have occurred in ancient time. The event that Qi “ 文” vated from the Taosi Site). Zhongguo Shehui Kexueyuan moved to Ji Du also met the archaeological discovery Gudai Wenming Yanjiu Zhongxin Tongxun 中国社会科学 that Taosi Site as a capital was replaced by Nanshi- 院古代文明研究中心通讯 (Bulletin of the Research - Fangcheng Site in the later phase of Taosi Culture. ter for Ancient Civilizations, CASS) 1: 27–9. In conclusion, the Taosi pottery inscription should be Luo, Kun 罗琨. 2001. Taosi Taowen Kaoshi 陶寺陶文考释 interpreted as Wen Yi 文邑, which meant the Xia capital. ( of the Pottery Character from the Taosi Site). Wen Yi was named after the name of Yu the Great and Zhongguo Shehui Kexueyuan Gudai Wenming Yanjiu was used earlier than Xia Yi 夏邑. The construction idea Zhongxin Tongxun 中国社会科学院古代文明研究中心通 of Yi, which was not supposed to be enclosed by walls, 讯 (Bulletin of the Research Center for Ancient Civilizations, was different from that of Cheng. As the center of the CASS) 2: 13–8. hereditary realm, the rules of designing Yi were created Shanxi Archaeological Team of the Institute of Archaeology, by Qi, the King of Xia, and became the general tradition CASS 中国社会科学院考古研究所山西队 et al. 2005. Shanxi Xiangfen Taosi Chengzhi 2002 nian Fajue Baogao of the Three Dynasties. Yu the Great set his capital at 山西襄汾陶寺城址 2002 年发掘报告 (Excavation on the Yangcheng; Qi redesigned Yangcheng into Xia Yi, this City-Site at Taosi, Xiangfen, Shanxi, in 2002). Kaogu epoch-making historic event was clearly reflected by the Xuebao 考古学报 (Acta Archaeologica Sinica) 3: 307–46. different features of the early, middle and later phases

176 Chinese Archaeology Feng Shi

Shanxi Sheng Kaogu Yanjiusuo 山西省考古研究所 (Shanxi Ting, 丁山. 1935. You Sandai Duyi Lun Qi Minzu Wenhua Institute of Archaeology). 1996. Shanxi Yicheng Nanshi 由三代都邑论其民族文化 (An Ethno-geographical Study Yizhi Diaocha, Shijue Baogao 山西翼城南石遗址调查, 试 of Early ). Zhongyang Yanjiuyuan Lishi 掘报告 (The Report on the Investigation and Excavation of Yuyan Yanjiusuo Jikan 中央研究院历史语言研究所集刊 the Nanshi Site in Yicheng, Shanxi). In Shanxi Sheng Kaogu (Bulletin of the Institute of History and Philology Academia Xuehui 山西省考古学会 (Shanxi Archaeological Society) Sinica) 5 (1): 87–130. [ed]. San Kaogu 三晋考古 (Three-Jin archaeology) vol. Wang, 王晓毅 et al. 2007. Ye Yao Shun Shanrang 2. : Shanxi Renmin Chubanshe. pp. 245–58. yu Cuanduo 也谈尧舜禅让与篡夺 (On the State Power Tang, 唐兰 1999. Jiaguwen Ziran Fenlei Jianbian 甲骨 Transfer from Yao to Shun: Abdication or Usurpation). In 文自然分类简编 (Classified Dictionary of Oracle Bone Xiangfen Taosi Yizhi Yanjiu 襄汾陶寺遗址研究 Characters, Abridged). Taiyuan: Shanxi Jiaoyu Chubanshe. (Researches on Taosi Site, Xiangfen). Beijing: Kexue p. 71. Chubanshe. pp. 406–7.

Note: the original paper, published in Kaogu Xuebao 考古学报 (Acta Archaeologica Sinica) 2008. 3: 273–90 with five illustrations, was written by Feng Shi. The abridged version is prepared by the author and translated into English by Ding Xiaolei 丁晓雷.

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