"Return" to the site of ancient Shu from archaeological discoveries
An important reason why the Sanxingdui site "woke up and shocked the world" was that the peculiar shape and "mysterious color" of its cultural relics drew people's imagination and gave the public a lot of space for curiosity and imagination.
But for experts in the archaeological world, what they are concerned about is only in-depth analysis and interpretation, and strive to continue to approach the most likely historical truth.
Professor Tang Jigen of Southern University of Science and Technology, while serving as the leader of the Anyang Yinxu archaeological team, presided over the excavation of the famous Huanbei Shopping Mall (the capital of the mid-Shang Dynasty), and had long-term and in-depth research on cultural relics and history of the Shang Dynasty.
The ancient Shu civilization has always been deeply influenced by the Central Plains culture in the Yellow River Basin, and the Shang Dynasty has the strongest influence on the ancient Shu civilization.
Combining his own understanding of Shang culture and carefully observing the types and shapes of the cultural relics in the sacrificial pits of Sanxingdui, Tang Jigen believes that the information conveyed by these mysterious large pits is indeed related to the sacrificial activities of the ancient Shu people, and clearly distinguishes them. Those who were sacrificed and sacrificed in the unearthed relics, as well as related sacrificial vessels and methods.
In his recent article "The Sacrifice Pit or the Destruction Pit: The Game of Views Behind Sanxingdui Archaeology" published in the publication "Mei Cheng Zai Jiu", Tang Jigen followed his "decryption" process one by one.
The following is an excerpt of this article authorized by Tang Jigen to publish by Chengdu Commercial Daily-Red Star News.
(K1 means Pit No. 1, and so on, in the text.) At the same time, the "Recovery Diagram of Sanxingdui Sacrificial Scene" was also published for the first time.
Editor's note
In the records of oracle bone inscriptions, the sacrificial activities of the Shang dynasty 3,000 years ago were carried out in a solemn and solemn atmosphere.
The complete sacrificial activity includes at least four parts: the sacrificial person, the sacrificial person, the sacrificial vessel, and the sacrificial method.
Do the K1 and K2 excavated in 1986 and the K3 to K8 excavated this time include the above four parts?
Taking K2 as an example, the author discusses the artifacts and related phenomena in this batch of buried pits from four aspects: the person who is sacrificed, the person who sacrifices, the ritual vessel, and the method of sacrifice.
For the convenience of presentation, the name of the artifact is used directly to represent the sacrificed person, the sacrificed person, etc. in the text.
Sacrifice, Sacrifice, Sacrificial Vessel and Sacrifice Method
The big mask represents the sacrificed
Among the pits of Sanxingdui, common unearthed objects include tile-shaped masks, standing portraits, busts, kneeling portraits, heads of birds, sheet-shaped masks, bronze statues, bronze lizards, bronze ampoules, bronze trees, jade zhang, and jade. Chisel, ivory, seashell, tiger tooth, etc.
These artifacts are deliberately made into different shapes. If they are all related to the sacrifice, the objects of different shapes should assume different roles or functions. Then, will there be the image of the sacrificial person in between?
If you observe the characteristics of the artifact, the artifact most likely to represent the sacrificial person should be a tile-shaped mask.
There are two types of tile-shaped masks: one is the so-called vertical-eye tile-shaped mask (referred to as the "beast mask" in the excavation report, this article is referred to as the "vertical-eye mask", the same below), the other is the drum-eye tile-shaped mask (abbreviated as "drum"). Eye mask", the same below).
Let me talk about the Zongye Mask first.
Why do you say that the Zongmu mask has the most "sacrifice" characteristics?
The reasons are as follows:
First, the volume is huge.
The width of the three longitudinal eye masks is more than 77 cm, and the actual volume and visual experience are much larger than other masks;
Second, it is hung in a high place.
The backs of the three longitudinal eye masks are tile-shaped, with square holes on the forehead and on both sides of the mandible.
These characteristics indicate that this type of mask must be hung in a high place when it is used (enshrined);
Third, the ears, eyes, and mouths deliberately exhibit certain superpowers.
The three longitudinal eye masks all have the characteristics of biconvex and abduction of the ears (or "wide ears").
In addition, the corners of the mouth of the vertical eye mask also exaggeratedly extend to the ears.
The designers and casters at the time seemed to deliberately express the extraordinary characteristics of such masks that "see far and hear widely";
Fourth, there is a cloud-shaped forehead ornament on the forehead.
The forehead ornaments are erected high and made into a flowing cloud with curling ends.
It is not ruled out that its performance is the ability to control flowing clouds, at least it is also a peculiar decoration.
It is at least logical to consider such a mask of a human being sacrificed, which is huge in size, hung high during use, and exhibits superhuman abilities.
Otherwise, it doesn't have to be hung up high, and it doesn't need to be cast so large.
"The Book of the King of Shu" records: "The silkworm of the king of Shu, whose eyes are vertical, was first called the king." Although academic norms say that we should independently use archaeological materials to discuss issues, the Zongmu masks and documents of archaeological excavations are recorded in The characteristics of "Zongmu" are highly compatible, so we have to associate it with the king of Shu in the minds of the ancient Shu people.
Zong-eye masks do not seem to be the only ones to be sacrificed. Other tile-shaped drum-eye masks are also likely to be sacrificed. The reason is that most drum-eye masks have a large amount of detail, and their tile-shaped shapes and common perforations in the forehead and jaw indicate that , They should also be hung in a high place when they are used.
Some drum masks also have square holes on the front of their foreheads, which may have been used for forehead ornaments similar to flowing moire.
It can be seen that they also represent the sacrificed.
The reason why the Zongmu mask is extremely large, or because it represents the founding monarch of the Shu Kingdom, Can Cong, and other sacrifices may represent other Shu kings after Can Cong.
In addition to offering sacrifices to the ancestors of the Shang Dynasty recorded in the oracle bone inscriptions, they often also offer sacrifices to their ancestors, which scholars call "joint sacrifices."
The "Shi Shi" and "Twen Shi" in the oracle bone inscriptions refer to the "ten ancestors" or "twenty ancestors" who were sacrificed.
If the Oracle records have a certain analog value, the other 20 drum masks in Sanxingdui K2, or the images of the sacrificial ancestors of the Shu kings.
Principal and Servants
If the Zongmu Mask and Drum Eye Mask are the sacrifices, what artifacts represent the sacrifices?
Sacrifice is a kind of behavior. From common sense, sacrificing needs to be completed through some kind of action.
If the cast objects appear to be sacrificials, they may only maintain a certain figure or gesture.
Previous researchers overwhelmingly interpreted the standing figure as a priest, and the main reason lies in this.
K2 unearthed two standing portraits.
The most eye-catching is the portrait of Da Li.
Various signs indicate that the statue of Da Li may be a sacrificial person:
First, the humanoid portrayal.
The height of the standing portrait is about 261 cm, of which the height of the portrait without a crown is 163 cm. The height and facial features are no different from ordinary people. There is no extraordinary feature of the vertical eye mask. The ears are still pierced, which is exactly the image of many characters in Sanxingdui. Common custom features.
Second, dress modestly and wear a crown of eyes.
The standing portrait is gorgeously dressed, with triple clothing, and the coat is embroidered with dragon patterns and cirrus patterns; the head wears a cylindrical crown with four-eye crests, which some scholars call "the crown of the sky"; two can be seen on the back of the head Open the perforation diagonally, which may be used to insert the hairpin; although the foot is stamped, the ankle is worn with a bracelet.
Third, the look is solemn.
The standing portrait looks straight ahead, with a solemn face and solemn expression.
Fourth, stand on a high platform.
The standing figure stands on a high platform with two feet, the high platform is divided into three sections, the bottom section is the base, about 35 cm high; the middle section is made of "like face", about 35 cm high; the upper part is the base table, which is not high enough 9 cm.
Adding these three together, the overall height of the elevated platform is about 80 cm.
Fifth, use both hands to hold objects.
The most striking thing about the standing portrait is that he raises his hands and holds the object in front of his chest.
Researchers mostly believe that the objects they hold should be ivory.
On sacrificial occasions, this kind of life-size image standing on a high platform, wearing a god crown, gorgeously dressed, solemn, holding precious ivory, doing solemn movements, is indeed the most qualified to be interpreted as a sacrificial person.
The standing figure plus the base, the total height of about 261 cm, is the tallest figure among all the figures unearthed in K2, and it is probably the person of the chief priest.
In addition to the large statues in K2, there are other figures that lead the movement, such as the bronze top-zun figure, the bronze statuette, the bronze figure kneeling and caressing the abdomen, as well as the statues of detainees seen on the so-called "sacred altar". Should all be followers.
For example, kneeling top portraits, bronze holding zhang portraits, kneeling portraits with abdomen, etc., all have the common characteristics of neatly dressed, solemn expressions, and the same posture.
If there are many people in rows or rows, the movements are highly uniform.
Considering that its dress is not as gorgeous as the Da Li portrait, and the amount of objects is much smaller than the Da Li portrait, it seems to be more like a priest.
Human face bird as "messenger"
However, the possibility is not the same as the conclusion.
To deduce the possibility into a conclusion, it is also necessary to associate the sacrificed and the sacrifice (including the chief priest and the slave sacrifice).
Fortunately, among the artifacts unearthed in K2, there is indeed someone who can associate the sacrificial with the sacrificial person, and this is the bronze tree.
The bronze sacred tree unearthed in 1986 consists of a base and a body. The tree grows on the top of the mountain and its height is nearly 10 times that of the mountain.
Therefore, there is every reason to believe: what the producer wanted to express was that this tree, which was nearly 10 times higher than the mountain, was not an ordinary tree.
It grows toward the sky and reaches the sky.
With this "sky-reaching tree", we finally found the connection between the well-dressed priests standing on the high platform and the high-hanging, huge, and supernatural abilities (or divine powers). The medium of this also consolidates the view that the tile-shaped mask should be interpreted as the sacrificial person, the standing figure, etc., as the sacrificial person.
The key clue lies in the human-faced bird standing on the sacred tree. A particularly noteworthy detail is: the human-faced bird with the characteristics of vertical eyes and wide ears, the bird's feet are on the top of the tree trunk.
Therefore, it is not ruled out that the human face bird is the incarnation or messenger of the vertical-eye mask hanging above—the bronze tree maker designed this way, whether it is overlooking the world above the flower and fruit on the top of the tree that expresses the human face bird habitation, and even enjoy it What about earthly offerings?
In a sense, the human face bird fills the missing link between the bronze tree and the vertical-eye mask, which once again proves that the connection between the sacrifice and the victim is established through the bronze tree.
Therefore, the hypothesis of standing human figures as sacrificials and tile-shaped masks as sacrificials can be established.
Sacrificial Vessels and Sacrificial Methods
If the eight pits located on the southern section of the central axis of Sanxingdui ancient city represent the sacrificial area, then it bears the historical memory of the national sacrificial offerings.
Since it is a national sacrifice, it must be grand, and there must be a meticulously prepared sacrifice vessel and a sacrifice method to implement the sacrifice.
Compared with confirming the identities of the sacrificial and sacrificial person, it is not difficult to find the sacrificial items in K2.
The way to find sacrificial vessels is to discover the preciousness of the artifacts from the standpoint of the ancients, while observing how they are used from archaeological phenomena.
Among the artifacts unearthed in K2, there are some items that were difficult for the ancients to obtain, including ivory, sea shells, bronze statues, bronze lizards, copper ampoules, jade Zhang, jade chisel, jade bi, and tiger teeth.
Ivory and tiger tusks come from huge elephants and beasts that are extremely difficult for humans to control. They are obviously precious.
Given the location of Sichuan, seashells are likely to come from the Indian Ocean. At least they belong to long-distance trade items, and the degree of preciousness can be imagined.
Restricted by the source of raw materials, production organization, and casting technology, the preciousness of copper statues, copper lizards, copper ampoules, and jade Zhang, jade chisel, and jade birch is also unnecessary.
The rarity of these artifacts makes them suitable to be used as sacrificial vessels in grand sacrificial occasions.
However, it is not enough to discuss that they are sacrificial vessels based on their rarity, and it depends on how they are used.
The large portrait shows a magnificent priest with a solemn expression holding the ivory in front of his chest.
The kneeling top statue depicts the bronze statue being lifted aloft by a person kneeling on a high platform, with his head on top.
The kneeling figure shows that Yuzhang is held in front by the kneeling person.
The exterior of the vessel named "Sacred Altar" by the excavators showed solemn rows of kneeling people and standing people holding objects in a unified gesture.
These images show how people hold sacrifices on specific occasions.
The altar also seems to show the way the priests stand.
Chen Xiandan, one of the excavators of K1 and K2, published a batch of photos showing the unearthed conditions of the excavated artifacts in the book "Excavation of the Sanxingdui Sacrificial Pit".
This batch of photos records the unearthed state of the above-mentioned rare objects in K1 and K2.
The photos show that most of the jade zun, jade chisel, and seashells were placed in copper statues or copper scorpions before being buried, while copper statues and copper scorpions were mostly smashed before being buried, and the ivory was burnt before or at the same time.
These phenomena should also be part of the sacrificial method.
What is a human head?
Among the artifacts unearthed in K2, there are a group of artifacts called "human heads" by the excavators, a total of 44 pieces.
Four of them wore gold masks, and the other 40 had no gold masks.
In the minds of the casters, it is almost impossible that the heads of these people have nothing to do with the sacrifice, but we can't see their characteristics related to the sacrifice.
At least on the surface, they are not sacrifices, but we don't seem to have any reason to regard them as sacrifices.
In the sacrificial scene, what role do these heads of people play?
Some researchers interpret the heads of these people as different nationalities based on the differences in their hair styles.
However, from the perspective of attire, most people have the same or similar hair styles on their heads.
If different hair styles represent different ethnic groups, it must be concluded that most people are of the same ethnic group.
With reference to the social structure of the Shang Dynasty, we speculate that the heads of these people may represent the nation, but they are more likely to represent the tribal chiefs.
Among them, 36 flat-top braided heads with the same or similar hair styles are likely to be representatives of different tribes from the same ethnic group.
In the inscriptions of the Shang Dynasty, there are often records of "clan", "sub-clan" and "multi-sub-clan".
The "tribe" is more representative of tribe than race.
The basic social structure of the Shang dynasty was based on tribes, and all tribes belonging to the same race had their own clan Yin or patriarch.
The scale of sacrificial activities in Sanxingdui is extremely high and belongs to the state sacrificial rites. It is understandable that the leaders of many tribes will participate.
Therefore, it is reasonable to interpret the heads of people unearthed in K2 as the leaders of various tribes.
The last thing that needs special explanation is: As mentioned above, the eight pits seem to be divided into at least three groups, which may represent multiple burial behaviors.
The content of the ancient Shu Kingdom contained in the literature highlights the four kings of Shu, Cancong, Baiguan, Yufu, and Du Yu.
So, is the repeated burial behavior related to these Shu kings?
Sanxingdui Archaeology has left us another mystery...
Chengdu Commercial Daily-Red Star News Reporter Qiao Xueyang