Jump to content

Yinxu

Coordinates:36°07′36″N114°18′50″E/ 36.12667°N 114.31389°E/36.12667; 114.31389
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Yinxu
Yinxu, the site of the Shang dynasty capital betweenc. 1350andc. 1046 BCE
Yinxu is located in Henan
Yinxu
Shown within Henan
Yinxu is located in China
Yinxu
Yinxu (China)
LocationYindu District,Anyang,Henan, China
Coordinates36°07′36″N114°18′50″E/ 36.12667°N 114.31389°E/36.12667; 114.31389
Official nameYin Xu
CriteriaCultural: ii, iii, iv, vi
Reference1114
Inscription2006 (30thSession)
Area414 ha
Buffer zone720 ha
Yinxu
ChineseDi chỉ kinh đô cuối đời Thương
Literal meaning"Ruins of Yin"
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinYīnxū
Wade–GilesYin1-hsü1
IPA[ín.ɕý]
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationYānhēui
JyutpingJan1 heoi1
Southern Min
Tâi-lôÛn-hi

Yinxu(Mandarin pronunciation:[ín.ɕý];Chinese:Di chỉ kinh đô cuối đời Thương;lit.'Ruins of Yin') is a Chinesearcheological sitecorresponding to Yin, thefinal capitalof theShang dynasty(c. 1600– c. 1046 BCE). Located in present-dayAnyang,Henan, Yin served as the capital during theLate Shangperiod (c. 1250– c. 1046 BCE) which spanned the reigns of 12 Shang kings and saw the emergence oforacle bone script,the earliest knownChinese writing.Along with oracle bone script and other material evidence for the Shang's existence, the site was forgotten for millennia. Its rediscovery in 1899 resulted from an investigation intooracle bonesthat were discovered being sold nearby. The rediscovery of Yinxu marked the beginning of decades of intensive excavation and study. It is one of China's oldest and largest archeological sites, and was selected byUNESCOas aWorld Heritage Sitein 2006.[1]Yinxu is located in northernHenan,near modernAnyangand the borders Henan shares withHebeiandShanxi.Public access to the site is permitted.

Traditional history

[edit]

According to the 2nd centuryShuowen Jiezidictionary ( Thuyết Văn Giải Tự ), theChinese character"Ân"(yīn) originally referred to "vibrant music-making".[2]Although frequently used throughout written history to refer to both the Shang dynasty and its final capital, the nameYīn(Ân) appears to have not been used in this way until the succeedingZhou dynasty.In particular, the name does not appear in theoracle bones,which refer to the state asShāng(Thương), and its final capital asDàyì Shāng( đại ấp thương "Great Settlement Shang" ).[3]

Among surviving ancient Chinese historical documents, Yin is described as the final capital of the Shang dynasty. There is some disagreement, though, as to when the move to Yin took place. Both theBook of Documents,(specifically, the "Pan Geng" chapter, which is believed to date from the lateSpring and Autumn period), and theBamboo Annalsstate that Shang kingPan Gengmoved the Shang capital to Yin. The Bamboo Annals state, more specifically, that during his reign Pan Geng moved the capital from Yān ( yểm; present-dayQufu,in present-dayShandong Province), to a site called Běimĕng (Bắc mông), where it was then renamed to Yīn (Ân).[4][5][6](Conversely, according to theRecords of the Grand HistorianofSima Qian,Pan Geng moved the Shang capital from a location north of theYellow Riverto BoBạc,the capital of Shang dynasty founderTang,on the south side of the river—a location inconsistent with the location of Yin.[7])

Regardless, Yin was clearly established as the Shang capital by the time of Shang kingWu Ding.Wu Ding launched numerous military campaigns from this base against surrounding tribes, thus securing Shang rule and raising the dynasty to its historical zenith.

According to the traditional accounts, later rulers became pleasure-seekers who took no interest in state affairs. KingZhòu,the last of the Shang dynasty kings, is particularly remembered for his ruthlessness and debauchery. His increasingly autocratic laws alienated the nobility until KingWuof theZhou dynastywas able to gain the support to rise up and overthrow the Shang.

The Zhou dynasty established their capital atFenghaonear modern-dayXi'an,and Yīn was abandoned to fall into ruin. These ruins were mentioned bySima Qianin hisRecords of the Grand Historian,more precisely in theBattle of Julu,and described in some detail byLi Daoyuanin hisCommentary to the River Classic,published during theSouthern and Northern Dynastiesperiod (420-589 CE). Thereafter, the once-great city of Yīn was relegated to legend along with its founding dynasty until its rediscovery in the final years of theQing dynasty.

Archaeological discoveries

[edit]
Ox scapula recording divinations by Zhēng tranh in the reign of KingWu Ding

Yinxu is well known for itsoracle bones,which were first recognized as containing ancient Chinese writing in1899byWang Yirong,director of theImperial Academy.[8]One account of Wang's discovery was that he was suffering frommalariaat the time and was prescribed Longgu ( long cốt ) (dragon bones) at a traditional Chinese pharmacy. He noticed strange carvings on these bones and concluded that these could be samples of an ancient form of Chinese writing.

News of the discovery of the oracle bones created a market for them among antiques collectors, and led to multiple waves of illegal digs over several decades, with tens of thousands of pieces taken.[9][10]The source of the "dragon bones" was eventually traced to the small village ofXiaotun,just outsideAnyang.[8]In 1910, noted scholarLuo Zhenyuaffirmed that the area was the site of the last Shang dynasty capital.[11]Canadian missionary and oracle bone analystJames Menziesalso independently identified Anyang as the capital in 1910.[12]In1917,Wang Guoweideciphered the oracle bone inscriptions of the names of the Shang kings and constructed a complete Shang genealogy. This closely matched that in theRecords of the Grand HistorianbySima Qian,confirming the historical authenticity of the legendary Shang dynasty and the archaeological importance of Yinxu.[8] However, the oracle bone inscriptions record the name of the state as Dàyìshāng (Đại ấp thương) or Shāngyì (Thương ấp).

The first official archeological excavations at Yinxu were led by the archeologistLi Jiof the Institute of History and Philosophy from1928-37.[13]They uncovered the remains of a royal palace, several royal tombs, and more than 100,000 oracle bones that show the Shang had a well-structured script with a complete system of written signs.[14]

Since1950ongoing excavations by theInstitute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Scienceshave uncovered evidence of stratification at the Hougang site, remains of palaces and temples, royal cemeteries, oracle bone inscriptions, bronze and bone workshops and the discovery of theHuanbeisite on the north bank of theHuan River.[13]One of the largest and oldest sites of Chinese archaeology, excavations here have laid the foundation for work across the country.

Four periods are recognized at the site. They correlate approximately with oracle bone periods assigned byDong Zuobin,royal reigns and dates assigned by theXia–Shang–Zhou Chronology Projectas follows:[15][16]

Layer Oracle bone period Kings Approximate dates
Yinxu I Pan Geng,Xiao Xin,Xiao Yi 1300–1250 BCE
Yinxu II I Wu Ding 1250–1192 BCE
II Zu Geng,Zu Jia 1191–1148 BCE
Yinxu III III Lin Xin,Geng Ding
IV Wu Yi,Wen Wu Ding 1147–1102 BCE
Yinxu IV V Di Yi,Di Xin 1101–1046 BCE

Excavation sites

[edit]

At 30 square kilometers, Yinxu is the largest archaeological site in China. Excavations have uncovered over 80 rammed-earth foundation sites including palaces, shrines, tombs and workshops. From these remains archaeologists have been able to confirm that this was the spiritual and cultural center of the Shang dynasty.

Burial pit at Tomb of Lady Fu Hao

The best preserved of the Shang dynasty royal tombs unearthed at Yinxu is theTomb of Fu Hao.The extraordinaryLady Haowas a military leader and the wife of Shang KingWu Ding.The tomb was discovered in 1976 byZheng Zhenxiangand has been dated to 1250 BCE. It was completely undisturbed, having escaped the looting that had damaged the other tombs on the site, and in addition to the remains of the Queen the tomb was discovered to contain six dog skeletons, 16 human slave skeletons, and numerous grave goods of huge archaeological value. The tomb was thoroughly excavated and extensively restored and is now open to the public. The exhibition hall also features chariot pits where the earliest samples of animal-driven carts discovered by Chinese archaeology are on display.

Historical importance

[edit]
TheHoumuwuding

Before the excavation of Yinxu, the Chinese historical record began in the first year of the subsequent Zhou dynasty, but the discovery of oracle bone inscriptions confirmed the historicity of the Shang, which had come under question. The framework of early ancient Chinese history was reconstructed, making it possible to assess the credibility of traditional accounts of Shang history.

The150000oracle bones unearthed at Yinxu comprise much of the earliest evidence of written Chinese. Bronze and jade relics constitute evidence of the funeral customs of Yinxu, including human and animal sacrifice.[17]

A large number of handicrafts and workshops have been discovered at Yinxu. Patterns on utensils and bronzeware include those resembling animal faces, whorl patterns, and thetaotiepattern. Large-scale bronzeware excavated at the site like theHoumuwudingwere cast by an elaborate section-mold process.[18]

Genetic studies

[edit]

A study ofmitochondrial DNA(inherited in the maternal line) from Yinxu graves showed similarity with modern northernHan Chinese,but significant differences from southern Han Chinese.[19]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]

Citations

  1. ^"Yin Xu".UNESCO.Retrieved6 August2007.
  2. ^SeeShuowen JieziThuyết Văn Giải Tự entry ân.
  3. ^Keightley (1999),p. 232.
  4. ^Pan Geng I.Retrieved29 March2018.{{cite book}}:|website=ignored (help)
  5. ^Pan Geng.Retrieved28 March2018.{{cite book}}:|website=ignored (help)
  6. ^Bai, Shouyi (2002).An Outline History of China.Beijing: Foreign Language Press.ISBN7-119-02347-0.
  7. ^Annals of Yin.Retrieved28 March2018.{{cite book}}:|website=ignored (help)
  8. ^abc"The Discovery of Oracle Bones and the Locating of Yinxu site". The Garden Museum of Yin Ruins.The Discovery of Oracle Bones and the Locating of Yinxu site. In 1899, Wang Yirong, the director of the Imperial College and a well-known scholar of ancient inscriptions discovered dragon bones (known today as oracle bone inscriptions). He sent his assistants to Xiaotun village in Anyang, ( an dương ), and enabled him to confirm that Xiaotun was indeed the Yinxu (Ruins of Yin) in the historical records. In 1917 Wang Guowei successfully deciphered the names in oracle bone inscriptions of Shang ancestors and from these was able to reconstruct the Shang genealogy. It matched the record in ( Tư Mã Thiên ), Sima Qian's 'Shiji' ( sử ký ) (Records of the Historian). Thus, the legend of Shang dynasty was confirmed as history and the importance of Yinxu was recognized by the academic world. The first excavations at Yinxu began in 1928.
  9. ^Chou 1976,p. 1.
  10. ^Xu 2002,p. 6.
  11. ^Wilkinson (2000),391.
  12. ^Goodrich, L. Carrington (August 1957)."James Mellon Menzies, 1885–1957".The Journal of Asian Studies.16(4): 672–673.doi:10.1017/S0021911800134813.S2CID162745662.
  13. ^ab"Information Panel". The Garden Museum of Yin Ruins.Since the first excavation in 1928, archaeologists have been working at the Yinxu site for over seventy years. There have been two main periods of excavation: (1) from 1928–1937, when excavations were carried out by the Institute of History and Philosophy; and (2) since 1950, when the Institute of Archeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (formerly Chinese Academy of Sciences) have been responsible for excavations have yielded some very important results: evidence of stratification of the Hougang site, remains of palaces and temples, royal cemeteries, oracle bone inscriptions, bronze-and bone-workshops and the discovery of the Shang city on the north bank of the Huan River.
  14. ^"An Yang, ancient capital of the Shang dynasty".China Central Television.Retrieved6 August2007.
  15. ^Thorp, Robert L. (1981). "The Date of Tomb 5 at Yinxu, Anyang: A Review Article".Artibus Asiae.43(3): 239–246.doi:10.2307/3249839.JSTOR3249839.p. 241.
  16. ^XSZCP Group (2000),Xià-Shāng-Zhōu duàndài gōngchéng 1996—2000 nián jiēduàn chéngguǒ bàogào: Jiǎn běnHạ Thương Chu tuyệt tự công trình 1996—2000 năm giai đoạn thành quả báo cáo: Bản tóm lược[The Xia-Shang-Zhou Chronology Project Report for the years 1996–2000 (abridged)], Beijing: Thế giới sách báo xuất bản công ty,ISBN978-7-5062-4138-0
  17. ^Zhou Yaogang ( chu muốn cảng ) (2020).Văn hóa di sản giá trị đánh giá —— lấy an dương di chỉ kinh đô cuối đời Thương vì lệ.Lạc Dương khảo cổ(in Chinese).2:71.
  18. ^Peng, Peng (2021). "Decentralizing the Origin of Civilization: Early Archaeological Efforts in China".History of Humanities.6(2): 515–548.doi:10.1086/715935.ISSN2379-3163.S2CID244133983.
  19. ^Zeng, Wen; Li, Jiawei; Yue, Hongbin; Zhou, Hui; Zhu, Hong (2013).Poster: Preliminary Research on Hereditary Features of Yinxu Population.82nd Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists.

Works cited

[edit]
Preceded by Capital of China
Shang
1350 BC – 1046 BC 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Yinxu&oldid=1232818790"