DOCSLIB.ORG

The Horse in Pre-Imperial China

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Horse in Pre-Imperial China University of Pennsylvania ScholarlyCommons Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations 2013 The Horse in Pre-Imperial China Xiang Wan University of Pennsylvania, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations Part of the Asian History Commons, and the Asian Studies Commons Recommended Citation Wan, Xiang, "The Horse in Pre-Imperial China" (2013). Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations. 720. https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/720 This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/720 For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Horse in Pre-Imperial China Abstract This dissertation investigates the role of the domestic horse in pre-imperial China motivated by the rise of studies on the horse as an interdisciplinary field. Among archaeological finds of the pre-imperial era, horse corpses and horse harnesses have been an essential part of cultural relics. Documentary sources on the horse can be traced back to the earliest Chinese writings. In this dissertation it is suggested that the domestication was a long, staged process, and the transmission route of the horse from the Urals to China via Central Asia will be proposed. A comprehensive survey of the archaeological remains related to the horse in the pre-imperial era constitutes the second main aspect of this dissertation, while documentary sources focusing on the use of the horse in civil and military affairs and the interaction of the horse and human beings . After comparing the role of the horse in China with that in other ancient civilizations, such as Greece, India and Persia, the discussion will end up with a summary of the contributions of the domesticated horse to pre- imperial China. Thousands of miles of roads were constructed for equestrian transport, and politically the horse accelerated the pace of militaristic expansion and consolidation of territory. The use of the horse also facilitated agriculture and trade, and thus propelled the society forward into the imperial era. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group East Asian Languages & Civilizations First Advisor Victor H. Mair Keywords domestic horse, exploitation of the horse, horse and chariot burials, horse breeding, human interaction with the horse, pre-imperial China Subject Categories Asian History | Asian Studies This dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons: https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/720 To Qiqi, our companion ii Acknowledgements I would like to express the deepest appreciation to my academic advisor, Professor Victor H. Mair. He continually encourages my exploration in the field of early Chinese history, society and culture, especially the mediation between the humans and the horse. Professor Mair possesses both the attitude and the substance of a genius, which always conveys a spirit of adventure in many fields of scholarship within Sinology and beyond. On the other hand, he ignited my excitement in teaching through his innovative, inspirational courses at Penn. Without his guidance and persistent help this dissertation would not have been possible. I would like to show appreciation to the chairperson of the East Asian Languages and Civilizations Graduate Group, Professor Nancy S. Steinhardt. Her warm academic nourishment throughout my five-year study at Penn is a prerequisite for my completion of the PhD degree here. Her thought-provoking comments and persistent considerations for the development of my scholarship do not only constitute a fortune for now but also an asset for my future career. Also, I would express my gratitude to my committee member Dr. Adam D. Smith for his critical comments and long-term support of my research, as well as a series of beneficial discussions in and after class. Professor Paul R. Goldin, the Department Chair and my general examiner, also provided insightful questions and plenty of substantial advice for the formation of my caliber. In addition, I am grateful to many scholars, fellow students who helped me during the past five years for their supervising my academic work and/or assisting me in writting the dissertation or providing me with useful materials: Asif Agha, Matthew Anderson, Fangyi Cheng, Nathan Hopson, Yousheng Li, Sai Ma, David W. Pankenier, Deven M. Patel, Donald Ringe, Greg Urban, and Taishan Yu. I must also thank Ms. Karen Vellucci who helped me with editing and revising the draft of all chapters. I am greatly benefited from the Benjamin Franklin fellowship offered by the Graduate Division of the University of Pennsylvania as well as the Dean’s Summer Research Fellowship. Working as a Teaching Fellow, I immersed myself as a team member of the Chinese Language Program at Penn, and learned a lot from Dr. Mien-hwa Chiang, Dr. Maiheng S. Dietrich and Ms. Yunong Zhou. During the last year of my PhD study, I also have a chance to work with Dr. Chang-whei Theresa Jen and her team at the Lauder Institute Chinese Language and Culture Program, which is an excellent opportunity for teaching practice. Lastly, I must thank my dearest wife, Jing Wen, who has been accompanying me for ten years. Her knowledge on ancient Egypt and ancient economies greatly inspired me. The productiveness of my academic work is inseparable from her immense contribution from material and spiritual perspectives. Our parents also provided incalculable care and assistance in the past five years when we are far away from home. My mother-in-law came to Philadelphia during my busiest time and whole -heartedly supported my work. I really appreciate her dedication to my wife and me. iii ABSTRACT THE HORSE IN PRE-IMPERIAL CHINA Xiang Wan Victor H. Mair This dissertation investigates the role of the domestic horse in pre-imperial China motivated by the rise of studies on the horse as an interdisciplinary field. Among archaeological finds of the pre-imperial era, horse corpses and horse harnesses have been an essential part of cultural relics. Documentary sources on the horse can be traced back to the earliest Chinese writings. In this dissertation it is suggested that the domestication was a long, staged process, and the transmission route of the horse from the Urals to China via Central Asia will be proposed. A comprehensive survey of the archaeological remains related to the horse in the pre-imperial era constitutes the second main aspect of this dissertation, while documentary sources focusing on the use of the horse in civil and military affairs and the interaction of the horse and human beings . After comparing the role of the horse in China with that in other ancient civilizations, such as Greece, India and Persia, the discussion will end up with a summary of the contributions of the domesticated horse to pre-imperial China. Thousands of miles of roads were constructed for equestrian transport, and politically the horse accelerated the pace of militaristic expansion and consolidation of territory. The use of the horse also facilitated agriculture and trade, and thus propelled the society forward into the imperial era. iv Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1 1, Outline of dissertation ...................................................................................................................... 2 2, Original contribution ........................................................................................................................ 5 3, Previous scholarship......................................................................................................................... 7 Chapter 2: Domestication of the horse and possible transmission routes to China........................ 12 1, The horse as domesticated animal .................................................................................................. 12 2, The process of horse domestication on the Steppe ......................................................................... 16 3, The genetic mechanisms of horse domestication ........................................................................... 21 4, The spread of domestic horse to China .......................................................................................... 22 Chapter 3: Archaeological finds related to the domestic horse in pre-imperial China .................. 26 1, The discoveries of horse and chariot burials .................................................................................. 27 A). Horse and chariot burials of the late Shang period .................................................................. 29 B). Horse and chariot burials during the Western Zhou period...................................................... 41 C). Horse and chariot burials during the Spring and Autumn period ............................................. 53 D). Horse and chariot burials during the Warring States period .................................................... 61 2, Related issues ................................................................................................................................. 63 A). Social status and horse and chariot burials .............................................................................. 63 B). Horse remains in the Northern Zone and related issues ........................................................... 67 Chapter 4: The significance of the domesticated horse in pre-imperial
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Fire Bow Drill
    Making Fire With The Bow Drill When you are first learning bow-drill fire-making, you must make conditions and your bow drill set such that the chance of getting a coal is the greatest. If you do not know the feeling of a coal beginning to be born then you will never be able to master the more difficult scenarios. For this it is best to choose the “easiest woods” and practice using the set in a sheltered location such as a garage or basement, etc. Even if you have never gotten a coal before, it is best to get the wood from the forest yourself. Getting it from a lumber yard is easy but you learn very little. Also, getting wood from natural sources ensures you do not accidentally get pressure-treated wood which, when caused to smoulder, is highly toxic. Here are some good woods for learning with (and good for actual survival use too): ► Eastern White Cedar ► Staghorn Sumac ► Most Willows ► Balsam Fir ► Aspens and Poplars ► Basswood ► Spruces There are many more. These are centered more on the northeastern forest communities of North America. A good tree identification book will help you determine potential fire-making woods. Also, make it a common practice to feel and carve different woods when you are in the bush. A good way to get good wood for learning on is to find a recently fallen branch or trunk that is relatively straight and of about wrist thickness or bigger. Cut it with a saw. It is best if the wood has recently fallen off the tree.
    [Show full text]
  • Archaeological Observation on the Exploration of Chu Capitals
    Archaeological Observation on the Exploration of Chu Capitals Wang Hongxing Key words: Chu Capitals Danyang Ying Chenying Shouying According to accurate historical documents, the capi- In view of the recent research on the civilization pro- tals of Chu State include Danyang 丹阳 of the early stage, cess of the middle reach of Yangtze River, we may infer Ying 郢 of the middle stage and Chenying 陈郢 and that Danyang ought to be a central settlement among a Shouying 寿郢 of the late stage. Archaeologically group of settlements not far away from Jingshan 荆山 speaking, Chenying and Shouying are traceable while with rice as the main crop. No matter whether there are the locations of Danyang and Yingdu 郢都 are still any remains of fosses around the central settlement, its oblivious and scholars differ on this issue. Since Chu area must be larger than ordinary sites and be of higher capitals are the political, economical and cultural cen- scale and have public amenities such as large buildings ters of Chu State, the research on Chu capitals directly or altars. The site ought to have definite functional sec- affects further study of Chu culture. tions and the cemetery ought to be divided into that of Based on previous research, I intend to summarize the aristocracy and the plebeians. The relevant docu- the exploration of Danyang, Yingdu and Shouying in ments and the unearthed inscriptions on tortoise shells recent years, review the insufficiency of the former re- from Zhouyuan 周原 saying “the viscount of Chu search and current methods and advance some personal (actually the ruler of Chu) came to inform” indicate that opinion on the locations of Chu capitals and later explo- Zhou had frequent contact and exchange with Chu.
    [Show full text]
  • Rashtrapati Bhavan and the Central Vista.Pdf
    RASHTRAPATI BHAVAN and the Central Vista © Sondeep Shankar Delhi is not one city, but many. In the 3,000 years of its existence, the many deliberations, decided on two architects to design name ‘Delhi’ (or Dhillika, Dilli, Dehli,) has been applied to these many New Delhi. Edwin Landseer Lutyens, till then known mainly as an cities, all more or less adjoining each other in their physical boundary, architect of English country homes, was one. The other was Herbert some overlapping others. Invaders and newcomers to the throne, anxious Baker, the architect of the Union buildings at Pretoria. to leave imprints of their sovereign status, built citadels and settlements Lutyens’ vision was to plan a city on lines similar to other great here like Jahanpanah, Siri, Firozabad, Shahjahanabad … and, capitals of the world: Paris, Rome, and Washington DC. Broad, long eventually, New Delhi. In December 1911, the city hosted the Delhi avenues flanked by sprawling lawns, with impressive monuments Durbar (a grand assembly), to mark the coronation of King George V. punctuating the avenue, and the symbolic seat of power at the end— At the end of the Durbar on 12 December, 1911, King George made an this was what Lutyens aimed for, and he found the perfect geographical announcement that the capital of India was to be shifted from Calcutta location in the low Raisina Hill, west of Dinpanah (Purana Qila). to Delhi. There were many reasons behind this decision. Calcutta had Lutyens noticed that a straight line could connect Raisina Hill to become difficult to rule from, with the partition of Bengal and the Purana Qila (thus, symbolically, connecting the old with the new).
    [Show full text]
  • Notice of a Collection 01 Perforated Stone Objects, from the Garioch, Aberdeenshire
    6 16 PROCEEDING SOCIETYE TH F O S , FEBRUARY 9, 1903. III. NOTICE OF A COLLECTION 01 PERFORATED STONE OBJECTS, FROM THE GARIOCH, ABERDEENSHIRE. BY J. GRAHAM CALLANDER, F.S.A. SOOT. Many perforated article f stono s f greateo e r leso r s antiquity have been found, the use of which we have no difficulty in defining. Among such article e stonar s e axes, stone hammers, whorls, beads d sinkan , - stones for nets or lines; but this collection of perforated stones from Central Aberdeenshire seems to be quite different from any of the recog- nised types. Localities.—The collection, which consist f sixty-fivo s e specimenss ha , been gathered during the last five years in the Garioch district of Aber- deenshire from eight different localitie n fivi s e parishes :—Elevee ar n from Newbigging, parish of Culsalmond ; one is from the Kirkyard of Culsalmond; five are from the adjoining farms of Jericho and Colpy, Culsalmond e froar m o Johnstonetw ; , paris f Leslio hs froi e me ;on Cushieston, parish of Rayne; one is from Lochend, Barra, parish of Bourtie; thre froe ear m Harlaw, paris f Chapeho f Garioco l fortyd an h; - one are from Logie-Elphinstone estate, also in Chapel of Garioch. e specimenth l Al s have bee e ploughnth turney b , p nonu d e having been found associated with burials or dwelling sites; at the same time many flint implements have been foun e localitiemosn th di f o t s named, especiall firste th , n yi third last-mentioned an , d ones, these I believe, , having been more thoroughly searched.
    [Show full text]
  • Fire Service Features of Buildings and Fire Protection Systems
    Fire Service Features of Buildings and Fire Protection Systems OSHA 3256-09R 2015 Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 “To assure safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women; by authorizing enforcement of the standards developed under the Act; by assisting and encouraging the States in their efforts to assure safe and healthful working conditions; by providing for research, information, education, and training in the field of occupational safety and health.” This publication provides a general overview of a particular standards- related topic. This publication does not alter or determine compliance responsibilities which are set forth in OSHA standards and the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Moreover, because interpretations and enforcement policy may change over time, for additional guidance on OSHA compliance requirements the reader should consult current administrative interpretations and decisions by the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission and the courts. Material contained in this publication is in the public domain and may be reproduced, fully or partially, without permission. Source credit is requested but not required. This information will be made available to sensory-impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 693-1999; teletypewriter (TTY) number: 1-877-889-5627. This guidance document is not a standard or regulation, and it creates no new legal obligations. It contains recommendations as well as descriptions of mandatory safety and health standards. The recommendations are advisory in nature, informational in content, and are intended to assist employers in providing a safe and healthful workplace. The Occupational Safety and Health Act requires employers to comply with safety and health standards and regulations promulgated by OSHA or by a state with an OSHA-approved state plan.
    [Show full text]
  • Rome Vs Rome Ing Late Romans Come from the Cover of the Roman Empire in the Middle of the Fourth
    THE BATTLE OF MURSA MAJOR THEME Left-handed warriors? Yes, the image has been mirrored. These charg- Rome vs Rome ing Late Romans come from the cover of The Roman Empire in the middle of the fourth Ancient Warfare VI-5. V century found itself in crisis. It had been split by Constantine the Great between his three surviving sons, Constantine II, Constantius II and Constans. However, soon the brothers were at each other’s throats vying for power. By David Davies onstantine II was defeated by the forces of Constans in AD 340, leav- ingC him in control of the western half of the Roman Empire. Howev- er in AD 350, he in turn was usurped by one of his own generals, Mag- nentius, who took the title Emperor of the West- ern Empire. Constans fled but was ambushed and killed by a troop of light cavalry while his party at- tempted to cross the Pyrenees. Magnentius quickly wooed support from the provinces in Britannia, Gaul, and Hispania with his lax approach to pagan- ism. Other provinces remained hesitant and many remained loyal to the Constan- tinian dynasty. The new Western Roman Emperor tried to exert his control directly by appointing his own men to command provinces and legions, ex- ecuting commanders loyal to the old regime, and by moving his forces into poten- tial rebel territories. When Nepotianus (a nephew of Constantine the Great) stormed Rome with a band of gladiators and pro- claimed himself em- peror, the revolt was swiftly dealt with. It became clear to 1 Wargames, soldiers & strategy 95 Cataphracts from the Eastern and Western Roman Empires square off.
    [Show full text]
  • Table of Contents (PDF)
    Cancer Prevention Research Table of Contents June 2017 * Volume 10 * Number 6 RESEARCH ARTICLES 355 Combined Genetic Biomarkers and Betel Quid Chewing for Identifying High-Risk Group for 319 Statin Use, Serum Lipids, and Prostate Oral Cancer Occurrence Inflammation in Men with a Negative Prostate Chia-Min Chung, Chien-Hung Lee, Mu-Kuan Chen, Biopsy: Results from the REDUCE Trial Ka-Wo Lee, Cheng-Che E. Lan, Aij-Lie Kwan, Emma H. Allott, Lauren E. Howard, Adriana C. Vidal, Ming-Hsui Tsai, and Ying-Chin Ko Daniel M. Moreira, Ramiro Castro-Santamaria, Gerald L. Andriole, and Stephen J. Freedland 363 A Presurgical Study of Lecithin Formulation of Green Tea Extract in Women with Early 327 Sleep Duration across the Adult Lifecourse and Breast Cancer Risk of Lung Cancer Mortality: A Cohort Study in Matteo Lazzeroni, Aliana Guerrieri-Gonzaga, Xuanwei, China Sara Gandini, Harriet Johansson, Davide Serrano, Jason Y. Wong, Bryan A. Bassig, Roel Vermeulen, Wei Hu, Massimiliano Cazzaniga, Valentina Aristarco, Bofu Ning, Wei Jie Seow, Bu-Tian Ji, Debora Macis, Serena Mora, Pietro Caldarella, George S. Downward, Hormuzd A. Katki, Gianmatteo Pagani, Giancarlo Pruneri, Antonella Riva, Francesco Barone-Adesi, Nathaniel Rothman, Giovanna Petrangolini, Paolo Morazzoni, Robert S. Chapman, and Qing Lan Andrea DeCensi, and Bernardo Bonanni 337 Bitter Melon Enhances Natural Killer–Mediated Toxicity against Head and Neck Cancer Cells Sourav Bhattacharya, Naoshad Muhammad, CORRECTION Robert Steele, Jacki Kornbluth, and Ratna B. Ray 371 Correction: New Perspectives of Curcumin 345 Bioactivity of Oral Linaclotide in Human in Cancer Prevention Colorectum for Cancer Chemoprevention David S. Weinberg, Jieru E. Lin, Nathan R.
    [Show full text]
  • Journal of Social and Political Sciences
    Journal of Social and Political Sciences Tongzhen, Zhu. (2021), Comparative Study: Chinese and Western Theoretical Sources for Sustainable Development Theory. In: Journal of Social and Political Sciences, Vol.4, No.2, 256-260. ISSN 2615-3718 DOI: 10.31014/aior.1991.04.02.294 The online version of this article can be found at: https://www.asianinstituteofresearch.org/ Published by: The Asian Institute of Research The Journal of Social and Political Sciences is an Open Access publication. It may be read, copied, and distributed free of charge according to the conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. The Asian Institute of Research Social and Political Sciences is a peer-reviewed International Journal. The journal covers scholarly articles in the fields of Social and Political Sciences, which include, but are not limited to, Anthropology, Government Studies, Political Sciences, Sociology, International Relations, Public Administration, History, Philosophy, Arts, Education, Linguistics, and Cultural Studies. As the journal is Open Access, it ensures high visibility and the increase of citations for all research articles published. The Journal of Social and Political Sciences aims to facilitate scholarly work on recent theoretical and practical aspects of Social and Political Sciences. The Asian Institute of Research Journal of Social and Political Sciences Vol.4, No.2, 2021: 256-260 ISSN 2615-3718 Copyright © The Author(s). All Rights Reserved DOI: 10.31014/aior.1991.04.02.294 Comparative Study: Chinese and Western Theoretical Sources for Sustainable Development Theory 1 Zhu Tongzhen 1 Université Paris-Saclay Abstract Countries around the world are now plagued by deteriorating environmental problems (including global warming, desertification, reduction of biodiversity, and possible sources of unknown viruses such as COVID-19).
    [Show full text]
  • Acupuncture and 'Traditional Chinese Medicine'
    EQUINE VETERINARY EDUCATION / AE / AUGUST 2004 275 Tutorial Article Acupuncture and ‘traditional Chinese medicine’ in the horse. Part 1: A historical overview D. W. RAMEY* AND P. D . BUELL† PO Box 5231, Glendale, California 91221 and †6206 25th Avenue, NE Seattle, Washington 98115, USA. Keywords: horse; acupuncture; Chinese medicine Introduction practised in the USA and Europe is not the same as the healing systems being practised in East Asia. Furthermore, the systems The last 3 decades have brought a wave of interest in a variety being practised in either locale are removed from the practice of unrelated therapeutic approaches commonly referred to as of Chinese medicine prior to the 20th century. Indeed, ‘alternative’, ‘complementary’ or ‘integrative’. Among Unschuld (1998a) wrote: “What is very much now an the most curious of those approaches is acupuncture, a ‘alternative’ Chinese medicine is only a minimal vestige of ideas minor tradition in the historical medical practice of China. and practices…extracted from a highly impressive variety of Investigations into acupuncture in human medicine have medical thought, and supplemented with modern elements of increased since interest began approximately 30 years ago and Western rationality…”. Chinese medicine, in the sense of a veterinary investigations have also been conducted. However, homogeneous system of ideas and therapeutic practices - even historical and scientific information about acupuncture, as a series of empirical observations codified over time - did not particularly pertaining to the horse, is rather scattered, exist prior to its promotion as such in the 20th century and somewhat incoherent and often inaccurately cited. This does not exist today. article, the first of a 2 part series, attempts a brief Neither is Chinese medicine a homogeneous or ‘complete’ overview of the history of equine acupuncture and treatment approach.
    [Show full text]
  • High Precision Radiocarbon Dating of the Western Zhou Tombs in the Liulihe Site
    High Precision Radiocarbon Dating of the Western Zhou Tombs in the Liulihe Site Zhang Xuelian Qiu Shihua Cai Lianzhen Keywords: high precision radiocarbon dating Western Zhou period tombs Liulihe site the effective reduction of the error terms. This paper is I. Introduction going to discuss how radiocarbon scientists in China live China has one of the longest uninterrupted writing tradi- up with this challenge. tions of the world; yet, the exact date in the received text The reduction of error terms during the calibration began in 841 BC. The earlier historical dates, for example, procedure can be achieved through a program of extrac- the date of King Wu conquest of the Shang, one of the tion of radiocarbon dates from sequential samples and most defining moments in Chinese history, had been fits these ordered 14C dates onto the calibration curve of debated for over 2000 years without a general agreement. high precision. This method, known as high precision Regardless of the effort of numerous scholars from the wiggle-matching, is a new calibration program that was Han Dynasty to the modern times, the attempt to fix an made possible after the establishment of the high preci- exact date for this historical event remains inconclusive. sion 14C-dendro-chronology calibrating curve since 1986. Consequently, the exact chronology of the Xia, Shang, The program starts with the extraction of high precision and the Western Zhou has become an intellectual puzzle 14C data from well-stratified samples that their sequence in Chinese studies. of succession or the exact age gaps between samples are After the Second World War, Libby, an American known.
    [Show full text]
  • Inscriptional Records of the Western Zhou
    INSCRIPTIONAL RECORDS OF THE WESTERN ZHOU Robert Eno Fall 2012 Note to Readers The translations in these pages cannot be considered scholarly. They were originally prepared in early 1988, under stringent time pressures, specifically for teaching use that term. Although I modified them sporadically between that time and 2012, my final year of teaching, their purpose as course materials, used in a week-long classroom exercise for undergraduate students in an early China history survey, did not warrant the type of robust academic apparatus that a scholarly edition would have required. Since no broad anthology of translations of bronze inscriptions was generally available, I have, since the late 1990s, made updated versions of this resource available online for use by teachers and students generally. As freely available materials, they may still be of use. However, as specialists have been aware all along, there are many imperfections in these translations, and I want to make sure that readers are aware that there is now a scholarly alternative, published last month: A Source Book of Ancient Chinese Bronze Inscriptions, edited by Constance Cook and Paul Goldin (Berkeley: Society for the Study of Early China, 2016). The “Source Book” includes translations of over one hundred inscriptions, prepared by ten contributors. I have chosen not to revise the materials here in light of this new resource, even in the case of a few items in the “Source Book” that were contributed by me, because a piecemeal revision seemed unhelpful, and I am now too distant from research on Western Zhou bronzes to undertake a more extensive one.
    [Show full text]
  • Originally, the Descendants of Hua Xia Were Not the Descendants of Yan Huang
    E-Leader Brno 2019 Originally, the Descendants of Hua Xia were not the Descendants of Yan Huang Soleilmavis Liu, Activist Peacepink, Yantai, Shandong, China Many Chinese people claimed that they are descendants of Yan Huang, while claiming that they are descendants of Hua Xia. (Yan refers to Yan Di, Huang refers to Huang Di and Xia refers to the Xia Dynasty). Are these true or false? We will find out from Shanhaijing ’s records and modern archaeological discoveries. Abstract Shanhaijing (Classic of Mountains and Seas ) records many ancient groups of people in Neolithic China. The five biggest were: Yan Di, Huang Di, Zhuan Xu, Di Jun and Shao Hao. These were not only the names of groups, but also the names of individuals, who were regarded by many groups as common male ancestors. These groups first lived in the Pamirs Plateau, soon gathered in the north of the Tibetan Plateau and west of the Qinghai Lake and learned from each other advanced sciences and technologies, later spread out to other places of China and built their unique ancient cultures during the Neolithic Age. The Yan Di’s offspring spread out to the west of the Taklamakan Desert;The Huang Di’s offspring spread out to the north of the Chishui River, Tianshan Mountains and further northern and northeastern areas;The Di Jun’s and Shao Hao’s offspring spread out to the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, where the Di Jun’s offspring lived in the west of the Shao Hao’s territories, which were near the sea or in the Shandong Peninsula.Modern archaeological discoveries have revealed the authenticity of Shanhaijing ’s records.
    [Show full text]