Orient-Archaologie Band 20 Ellen Hickmannl Arnd Adje Both/ Ricardo Eichmann (Hrsg.) Studien zur Musikarchaologie V VMM Neolithic Drums in China Bo Lawergren ZUSAMMENFASSUNG This exciting view into the earliest “music” in China, was opened to us because bone (in this case Dieser Beitrag gibt erstmals einen Überblick the ulnae of the red-crowned crane) survives well über chinesische Trommeln aus der Jungsteinzeit. in archaeological sites. Clay also does, as testified Die meisten erhaltenen Trommeln wurden aus by clay vessel flutes from 4600 BC and onward2. Ton hergestellt und es wurden die Objekte ausge- Another instrument made of clay is the drum, and wählt, die für Trommeln charakteristische Eigen- we find it in China between 4000 and 2000 BC. By schaften haben, wie z. B. Häkchen um den obe- 1400 BC bronze and wood drums take over in the ren Rand und die offenen Standflächen für die archaeological records. Klangäußerung. Das Material legt die folgende Drums provide most of what we know about Systematik nahe: (1.) Trommeln gab es nur zwi- music in the long period between the Jiahu flutes schen 4300 und 1900 v. Chr. (2.) Die Gegend, in and the relatively well attested musical ensembles der Trommeln gefunden wurden („die geographi- of the Shang dynasty. China discovered pottery sche Zone“), erstreckt sich weit vom Landesinne- comparatively late, many millennia after fired clay ren der Shandong Provinz westwärts bis zur vessels were made in Japan and Siberia3. The earli- Gansu Provinz; die nord-südliche Ausdehnung est Chinese pottery belongs to the Peiligang and ist dagegen schmal und liegt in der Nähe des Gel- related cultures of the seventh millennium4. This ben und des Wei Flusses. Die charakteristische phase initiated a rapid development, and the first Form der Trommeln ändert sich von Region zu surviving drums were produced two millennia Region. later. This is long before Europe, where the earliest Neben der Darstellung des publizierten ones in the north and central Germanic regions, archäologischen Materials werden 17 bislang appeared 3600 BC5. unveröffentlichte Trommeln aus der Gansu und der Qinghai Provinz präsentiert. Alle haben eine trichterähnliche Gestalt und laufen in einem THE NEOLITHIC PERIOD, schmalen Zylinder aus. An jeder Trommel befin- CA. 4000–1600 BC den sich zwei Ösen, in denen vielleicht ein Trage- riemen befestigt war, der um den Hals des Spie- Before examining Chinese drums6, I will examine lers gelegt wurde. Mit diesen Eigenschaften the societies that produced them, all located near wurde die Trommelform in vielen Regionen the course of the Yellow River (Fig. 1). The first gebräuchlich und sie ist in der ethnographischen surviving drums come from its easternmost part, Forschungsliteratur umfangreich dokumentiert. the Shandong Province, when it was the home of Ein frühes Beispiel (1950–1550 v. Chr.) wurde in der Region der Hethiter im türkischen Anatolien gefunden. Später entstanden als die hier bespro- chenen chinesischen Trommeln, scheint es sich um 1 The first publication, Henan Provincial Institute of Cultur- eine unabhängige Erfindung zu handeln. al Relics 1989, was followed be a note in English (Zhang/Harbottle/Wang/Kong 1999) and several articles in Hickmann/Kilmer/Eichmann (eds.) 2002, 143–167. 2 DeWoskin 1988, Fig. 2. INTRODUCTION 3 Krahl 2000, 24. 4 Chang 1986, 87–106. Several flutes from Jiahu, Wuyang county, Henan 5 Lustig 2002. 6 Province are known from 7000–5800 BC1. With I have touched on parts of the subject earlier (Lawergren 2002), but the article was mainly concerned with the simi- up to seven finger holes, they imply that melodic larities between the western group of drums and that of music or complex sound signal existed at that time. Beycesultan. 110 Bo Lawergren the Dawenkou Culture, 4300–3500 BC (Fig. 2)7. The first drums come from the second level of In regions near the central part of the river, i.e., development when “villages had developed politi- areas now belonging to southern Shanxi, northern cal, economic, and military bonds that lead us to Henan and Shaanxi Provinces, pottery drums were find the following phenomena in the archaeological produced later, 3000–2000 BC. They were part of record: the beginning of internal differentiation into the Miaodigou and Longshan Cultures. At that poor and rich classes; evidence of internal and/or time the Majiayao Culture dominated in the west external violence; specialized handicrafts (such as (the Gansu and south-eastern Qinghai Provinces) pottery); the existence of religious specialists, prob- and it also produced drums. These cultures have ably in the exclusive service of the chieftain class. distinct pottery, and the drums are also distinct. Under these conditions, intervillage leagues of a Drums of the Dawenkou period were played two more or less permanent nature had formed, admin- millennia before the birth of the Shang dynasty, istered by full-time rulers. We classify the Shanxi, the first historical dynasty. Henan, and Shandong Longshan Cultures at this We recognize two steps in the organization of level; the Dawenkou Culture of the east coast may “Chinese” Neolithic society which lead to the have reached this degree of development, but we are final stage considered here, Shang. The conditions not certain yet of the classificatory status of the during the Shang dynasty are documented in Miaodigou II Culture in the interior”10. sources contemporary to it: Oracle Bone Inscrip- tions (OBI), texts cast onto bronze vessels, and archaeological finds. During Shang the Central DEFINING DRUMS Plains (the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River) were organized into large states where set- What is a drum? Which are the minimum require- tlements formed complex networks. Kings were ments for us to consider a Neolithic pot a drum? recruited within elite clans and were assisted by First we need a hollow body, rigid enough to with- administrative groups and large armies. Beside his stand the pressure of a taut membrane. The latter political and military role, the king had a religious is usually made of skin11, and rarely survives. function conducting ancestor worship. Many of What survives are rows of hooks surrounding the his activities were guided by ritually questioning aperture, presumably for attaching the skin. Man- oracle bones, and some questions concerned musi- made holes in the pottery may also be significant, cal matters, e.g.8: especially if they are near the bottom of the vessel. They would have rendered it useless as a liquid • Should we play ocarina (vessel flute) [for] Ya? container but would have improved the acoustic Should [the] king’s large drum [be] used? properties of a drum. But these criteria are sugges- • Divine: [Should the] king play bells [for ances- tive, rather than absolute, requirements. Hooks tor], Father Yi? around the opening for the skin might merely be • [On the day] Geng if [we] perform bells [will it posts for attaching a lid (Fig. 4)12. Several examples be] auspicious? of such close-fitting lids are known. On the other hand, hooks may not be necessary at all. Today There were large groups of ritual assistants, and there are many types of drums (especially in Africa OBI show that musicians were among them. and East Asia) where the skin is securely attached Many highly specialized craftsmen existed – mag- by ropes woven around the drum. nificent bronze vessels testify to that – and equally Holes are another matter. Vent holes are neces- magnificent drums seem to point to specialized sary to allow external and internal pressures to instrument makers. equalize when weather changes, but these may be But three millennia earlier – during early Neo- tiny and escape the notice of archaeologists who lithic times – society was organized on a much smaller scale. The village was the primary unit, and 7 it yielded limited resources. Craft specialization Figs. 1, 2, 5, and 14 used a consistent color scheme to sepa- rate the eastern, central, and western regions. could not develop. Societies in the central region 8 Tong 1982, 51, OBI 32; 53, OBI 36; 55, OBI 43. were confined to such intra-village structure 9 Jin (1978) thinks they are tails and draws attention to Shan- before 2500 BC (Fig. 2). They have left no drums, hai jing, a text of the Warring States and earlier, which but vase decorations show dancers (Fig. 3). Both asserts that the Queen Mother of the West wore the tail of a panther. Hunting magic is also invoked. vases have the shape of a pen basin. The upper one 10 Chang 1983, 513–514. has three groups of five dancers, and the members 11 For Yunnan drums, their political and ritual significance, of each group hold hands. The end of a narrow and current bibliography, see Murowchick 2002. For Dian hair braid is seen on the left side, and a tail9 or a drums, see Lutz 1986, nos. 7, 13, 25, 27. Instead of skins they have bronze membranes, a technical point that quali- penis protrudes on the right. The lower vase may fies them as gongs. show pregnant dancers. 12 Li 1976, Fig. 1. Neolithic Drums in China 111 recover vase fragments. Larger holes turn the Yanggua, Huxizhuang, and Buzhaozhai have drum body into a Helmholtz resonator which holes20, and hooks. They were accepted as drums influences the sound. To reveal the holes, cross- by Guo21, but I am slightly doubtful about the sections of pottery should always be included. It Buzhaozhai vessel since it seems to lack hooks forms crucial evidence, showing, for example, the (but it has large holes along a band around its mid- central bottom hole in Fig. 6,6. riff). Hooks seem to be universal feature of all But even large holes do not necessarily prove other vessels considered drums at this time.