Analysis of the influence of the northwest nomadic culture on the spring and autumn bronze belt hooks

An Analysis of the Influence of Northwest Nomadic Culture on Bronze Belt Hooks of Spring and Autumn Period

[Abstract] In the long term production practice, the functions and styles of bronze belt hooks have integrated a large number of nomadic cultural characteristics. Although there are few written records of the glory of the horseback people in the Spring and Autumn period, the emblems and totem patterns on the belt hooks can reflect the distinctive patterns and decorative styles, and outline the historical past of the ancient Northwest Minority Groups in a small but significant way.

[Keywords] bronze belt hook; nomadic culture; arts and crafts

[Abstract] long-term production practice, bronze hooked functionality and style combines the characteristics of a large number of nomadic culture. Horseback ethnic Spring and Autumn Period, although few written records of Horseback ethnic Spring and Autumn Period, although few written records of their former glory, but by God Orcs and totem emblem on the hook patterns, but they can reflect the pattern is distinctive decor, and see the earth in small outline history of Ancient Northwest minorities in the past.

[Keyword] bronze hook; nomadic culture; arts and crafts

The development and application of belt hooks can be said to run through all aspects of social production and life at that time. The systematic investigation and study can not only restore a three-dimensional historical scene, but also for the understanding of human communities in the Asia-Europe continent changes in the exchange and integration, the ancient people for the development of metal smelting technology innovation, arts and crafts and daily life of the perfect combination of processes are of great significance. The significance of cultural history encompassed by the belt hook is reflected in its everlasting luster in terms of climatic changes, beliefs and totems, aesthetic tastes, clothing changes, smelting and casting, military diplomacy, literature and poetry, integration of ethnic groups, and the economic strength of the region (handicrafts manufacturing and trade), among other things. If the feminine beauty of the society can be mapped out through the study of female-oriented bronze mirrors, then the study of the belt hooks worn by male-oriented men can more powerfully outline the majestic and masculine spirit of martial arts.

First, from the jade buckle to the transformation of the bronze belt hook

As early as in the Neolithic period of Liangzhu culture site, in the position of the waist of the burial of a piece of artificially ground rectangular jade buckle found. This is the initial state of the primitive ancestors in the process of the development of clothing, but also the earliest discovery of the earliest jade belt buckle for clothing purposes. From the jade buckles of the megalithic culture to the belt hooks represented by the bronze culture, the transformation of function and material went through a long process. The historical significance of this beginning is by no means second to the invention of the zipper by the American mechanic Judson in Chicago in 1891. Industrial civilization gave birth to the zipper is one of the ten modern inventions, and the historical significance of the stone buckle is extremely similar to the zipper.

The Chinese had a fascination with jade and regarded jade buckles as auspicious. After the Han Book of the five lines of Zhi recorded: "Guanglu Xun Shi She wall under the youth, see, got a jade hook each. It is called auspicious." Another "Biography of the Immortals" describes the Han Dynasty, there is a Zhao woman, born with a hook hand clenched fist, five fingers can not be stretched. Once in the Han Wu Di hunting tour passed by the river, "looking for the gas said that there is a strange woman", the Han Wu Di then summoned her, Zhao's woman will be unfolded, holding a jade hook in the palm of the hand, and therefore was named "Lady Hook Yee". These two examples reflect from another side, to the Han Dynasty, the pre-Qin period left in the folk jade belt buckle is still in use. With the tribal conquests, technological advances and further cultural integration, bronze belt hooks, which flourished during the Spring and Autumn Period, gradually replaced the pre-Qin jade belt buckles. The main reason is that bronze has a certain toughness, and the metal smelting technology at that time improved the production efficiency and reduced the time cost. From the end of the Han Dynasty to the Wei and Jin Dynasties, bronze hooks were gradually replaced by other materials.

On the early documented use of belt hooks and research, also from the Han Dynasty. Wang Yi note "Chu Rhetoric" of the "Xianbei", fish fish and Zhang Bo interpretation of the "hooks and belts", as well as Gao Yuxi note "Huainanzi master of the art of training" of the "" and so on. Song Dynasty Lu Dalin in the "archaeological map" not only included six pieces of hooks, but also marked the excavation site. Long Danyuan, a Song Dynasty official who had been on a mission to Jin, wrote "Ancient Jade Atlas" illustrating 12 pieces of bandhooks, and conducted physical research on bandhooks. Zhao Xiguan of the same dynasty, in his "Dongtian Qingliu", systematically divided the belt hooks into six types according to the craftsmanship and styling, and divided the illustrations into three generations and two periods of the Qin and Han Dynasties, which made a great contribution to the related research in the later generations. In the Qing Dynasty, Wu Dahui wrote "Ancient Jade Diagrams and Examinations", which examined three pieces of belt hooks. In the same dynasty, Ruan Yuan wrote "Jiguzhai Zhongding Yi ware paragraph knowledge", which included several pieces of inscriptions with hooks, and deduced that "leather with hooks from a long time". Until modern times, Wang Guowei's "Hu Clothing Examination" recorded: "To know the belt system, we must seek in the saddle system." Believe that the belt from the saddle, that is to say, equestrian saddle is the main gene for the development of the belt hook. Bao Erhan and Feng Jia N also wrote articles discussing the problems related to the "Xianbei Guo Lu belt". Wang Renshiang, "Introduction to the belt hook" in the unearthed objects on the basis of a comparative study.

Foreign scholars, the same branch of the Altai language family of Japanese and Korean scholars, the study of the nomadic culture originated from the hook has a holistic understanding. Japanese scholars Nagahiro Toshio, not only a more systematic understanding, but also in his book "the study of hooks" cited more than 280 different styles of examples to analyze. Fujita Toyohachi, Egami Bofu, Shiratori Kuji and other Japanese scholars, also to varying degrees on the "Xianbei GuoLu belt" has been studied. Compared with the Northeast Asian scholars, European and American scholars are less involved in this research. 1966, B Carl Glenn in Stockholm, "Far East Museum Journal" published an article on the 38th, introduced two Swedish collectors collected more than six hundred pieces of ancient Chinese hooks collection, and a certain degree of categorization of the study.

Two , the circulation of precious metal casting process and the relationship between tribal migration

As early as the site of Gaura in the Two Rivers Basin (end of the Obeid period 4000 BC), burials unearthed a large number of rings made of gold flakes, floral ornaments, and crescent-shaped ornaments. This was the peak work of Mesopotamian civilization and the earliest physical objects of human craftwork in gold and silver. Later, in the tomb of Mudu in Meskala (Sargonian Era 2900 - 2370 years ago), a wigged gold helmet with fine wire carvings was unearthed, reflecting the Sumerian's superior metal craftsmanship. A large number of gold burial goods were also unearthed from the casket of Tutankhamun, the 18th pharaoh of the New Kingdom era in ancient Egypt. This can be seen in the ancient Mediterranean coastal areas of precious metal smelting and arts and crafts development level. At this time, the ancestors of the Yellow River basin, is still in the middle and late stage of the Da Wenkou culture (pottery, megalithic culture).

Chinese gold and silverware during the Shang and Zhou periods belonged to the grass-roots stage. Just 3000 to 4000 years ago on the plains of western Sichuan, there was a sudden emergence of a tribal regime with the surrounding neighbors living customs are very different. They took animal husbandry as their main economic form; took the eagle as their totem and worshipped those with sharp eyes; their dress was mainly short skirts to facilitate horseback riding; compared with the Yin and Shang cultures, which used the tripod and axe and battle-axe as the symbols of the kingship, their gold masks and golden staffs were highly consistent with the symbols of the belief in the unity of the church and the state in the Mesopotamia area; and the physical characteristics of the remaining bronze portraits were portrayed as the big eyes, high nose, and bushy beard. ethnographic features. The advanced metal smelting and manufacturing technology and its civilization were obviously higher than that of the surrounding agricultural tribes. Although this mysterious tribe, which came and went without a trace, has long disappeared in the long river of history, the many physical materials left behind from the Sanxingdui culture can be seen that many extraterritorial cultural genes were brought in the process of ancient population migration. The Biography of Mu Tian Zi, unearthed from the tomb of the King of Wei in the late Warring States period, tells of the 10th century B.C. when King Mu of Zhou traveled to Central Asia. The book records that there were swamps and springs, tigers, leopards, bears and wolves in the "Kunlun Mountains", as well as a large monolithic building, the "Palace of the Yellow Emperor", etc., which is very different from the distribution of species and the natural environment of the Kunlun Mountains in the south of the country, but it is very much the same as that of the Altai Mountains in the north of the country. If the pre-Qin period recorded Zhou Mu Wang traveled to the Western Regions is not history, not enough evidence. Then, cite the following examples for comparative analysis.　 In 1948, the Soviet archaeologist Rudenko excavated a number of large tombs of B.C. stone piles in the area of Altay Mountains. Both male and female burials were coated by spices. Tattoo designs were painted on their arms, thighs and torsos: a cat-tailed and winged animal, an eagle-headed and snake-bodied lion, and an eagle-beaked and horned deer. The burial goods were extremely luxurious, including a large number of horse remains, harnesses, armor, carpets, velvet socks, wooden items, horned items, as well as furs, bead strings and gold objects, and harps, one-sided drums, hemp seeds and false whiskers. There are also silk fabrics, jade, lacquer, copper mirrors and bronzes originating from the central interior.

In 1976, a large amount of Xinjiang Hetian jade was unearthed in the tomb of Wuding, the wife of King Wuding, at the site of Yinxu, and it can be assumed that the trade linking the Western Regions with the Central Plains had already existed in ancient times.

Later generations of experts and scholars of bronze belt hooks related to research, geographic and spatial isolation analysis and comparison of the practice is questionable. This is similar to the misinterpretation of nomadic cultures by the intellectual community in the Middle Kingdom due to their lack of written heritage.

Three: The Impact of Harness Derivative Designs on Social Change

The Historical Records of the Zhao Shijia: "King Wuling of Zhao said to Fei Yi: Now I will teach the people about riding and archery in hu clothes, but the world will talk about the oligarchs, so what do you think?" Recorded in 307 BC, King Wuling of Zhao took the initiative to absorb the advantages of the Northwest nomadic groups of horseback combat, carried out the "hu clothing riding and shooting" uniform reform, vigorously develop the production and research and development of cavalry and related equipment, to open up the territory to achieve hegemony.

"Chu Rhetoric": "Jin system of rhinoceros than." It can also be inferred from this that Jin manufactured a large number of Central Asian stall style belt hooks, and was widely used by all sectors of society.

Another "Han Book of Xiongnu biography" Yan Shigu note: "Rhinoceros Vi, Hu with the hook, also known as Xianbei, also known as the division than the total of one thing, the language has a light ear." Zhang Yan also said: "Xianbei, GuoLuBand RuiBeast name also, East Hu good service." "Guo Lu belt" that is, the northern nomadic communities use the leather belt, because the Xianbei people totem worship it, it is used as the name of the tribe, and cast its shape on the leather belt as a decoration.

During the reign of King Xiao of Zhou, Qin Fei Zi, a member of the "Win Family", was appointed as a vassal for his achievements in horse breeding. In 821 B.C., Duke Zhuang of Qin won an armed confrontation with the Xirong tribe, and was appointed by King Xuan of the Zhou Dynasty to the post of Dafu of the Western Frontier, and was given a plot of land in Quchu, where the Dailuo tribe had lived (near Lixian County, Longnan, Gansu Province, present-day Gansu Province). In 770 B.C., Duke Xiang of Qin sent his cavalry to escort King Ping of Zhou to the east, and was again granted a seat west of Mount Qishan, making Qin officially a vassal state of the Zhou Dynasty. The descendants of the "Win Clan", who were good at riding and driving, eventually unified the Central Plains through more than a hundred years of continuous conquests. There are two important clues here, one is the good management and breeding of horses is an important condition of the ancient war, and the second is the integration of tribes in Northeast Asia, mainly from the Northwest strong hybrid.

Inner Mongolia Aru Chaiteng Xiongnu aristocratic tomb unearthed ` eagle-shaped gold crown belt, and the Qin State, unearthed a lot of gold made of round carving of tigers, eagles, snakes and other animals or beasts, from the other side of the Xijongbei Di tribes and the adjoining Zhongshan State unearthed car mantle Fugen bead curtains, yoke gold hooks ornaments, gold dragon-headed Hengcai, not only in the material is more fine and extravagant, in the richness of the type of ware and modeling of the vivid and varied On, also colorful. Fengxiang Majiazhuang Qin Zongmiao site and Qin Yongcheng site found in the animal face pattern embedded turquoise gold square bubble, saving jewelry, exquisite degree is very high. In Aru Chaiteng, west ditch, Dongsheng city mill house canal Xiongnu cemetery, as well as a lot of Han tomb unearthed beasts fighting pattern gold belt buckle, is an important evidence of the influence of the Northwest nomadic culture. From the above analysis of the literature, it shows that the bronze belt hooks from the animal decorative modeling to the horse harness derivatives, its earliest users, is good at riding and shooting Northwest Nomadic culture-based communities, rather than geographically conservative agrarian culture of the people.

Fourth, the main influence of nomadic culture on the bronze belt hook

7000 to 4000 years ago, with the warm and cold changes and fluctuations in the climate, the natural environment, the ecological situation has changed greatly. The political, economic and cultural conditions of human society also changed accordingly. Climate change manifested in the temperature and precipitation changes, directly affecting the water system, landforms, soils, minerals and other natural elements, determining the growth of animal husbandry and crop distribution and development of the layout. Archaeologists call it the "Neolithic Era", and climatologists call it the "Holocene Warm Period". During this period of optimal climate, human civilization took a quantum leap forward. First came the civilizations of Ancient Egypt, Ancient Babylon, Ancient India, and the Mayan civilizations of Central America, all along the equator, followed by Ancient China in the temperate zone. Almost all of these civilizations advanced with changes in temperature.

As ancient civilizations located near the equator or in tropical and subtropical regions died out, the center of world civilization began to tilt northward, and shifted to China, where most of the land was in the temperate zone. For thousands of years, ancient China remained the leader and the center of world civilization. Then the Industrial Revolution began in Europe, and the center of world civilization gradually shifted northward to what is now Europe and North America.

Starting around the first half of the 1st century BC, the northern hemisphere was affected by the warming of the climate, and throughout the vast areas of the Eurasian steppe, the domesticated wild horse became an important carrier of human civilization. The grass by grass and hikers, living nowhere, riding saddle, looting the population, come and go swiftly ...... become the symbol of nomadic culture. At this time, the Scythians, represented by their mastery of metal smelting and horse taming, emerged on the stage of history. Their sphere of influence controlled the vast area from the Black Sea to the north in the west to the lower reaches of the Ili River in the east. The rise and fall of the Scythian culture radiation brought about by the ups and downs, covering the geographical scope has also been repeatedly changed, sometimes expanding and contracting. Its relics and funerary objects in a large number of precious metals, weapons, harnesses and daily necessities, of which, to the animals and beasts of gold, bronze is more representative of the pattern.

The historical Kingdom of Scythia (the second half of the 7th century BC to the first half of the 3rd century BC) existed for a period corresponding to the Spring and Autumn and Warring States period to the Western Han period. Oriental literature such as the Historical Records and the Book of Han refers to them as the Serbian race or the Serbian people with pointy hats. And Western ancient Greek literature, Assyrian chronicles, as well as oracles and Old Testament encyclopedias, have recorded them to varying degrees. In particular, the historian Herodotus provided more information in his book The Histories, composed in the 5th century BC.

In the late 7th century BC, the Greek poet Aristeas's long travel poem The One-Eyed Man describes the tribes of eastern Central Asia in detail: "Called by the god Apollo, he traveled to the territory of the Isetonians. First across the territory of the Isetons was the garrison of the Cyclopes; then across the Cyclopes to the garrison of the Griffins, who guarded the gold, and lastly across the territory of the Griffins were the Hippobrians (Siberians), whose territory stretched out to the sea." The text describes the Hippoblians as living on an unusually cold waterfront, and Lake Baikal in Siberia as meaning "North Sea".

Modern scholars have theorized that Aristeas's travels were not his own. "The Isetonians told the Scythians the story of the struggle between the One-Eyed Man and the Griffin for gold. The Scythians told the Scythians the story of the One-Eyed Man and the Griffins fighting over gold. The Scythian language spells the One-Eyed Man as: "arimaspu, where the first half arima means one, and the second half spu means eye." And the city of Izan, located in the southeastern part of the Tarim Basin, gets its name from the Greek history of Iseton. So since the Isetons were also a nomadic tribe, their pastures would have been in the Yili region south of the Altai Mountains and north of the Tian Shan. This hearsay word made Alisteas believe in the "one-eyed tribe". The correct spelling of the Serbian name, "the first half is lonely, the second half watchman", is "lonely watchman". This misunderstanding caused by a language difference is arguably the earliest example of a falsehood in history.

The Altai Mountains have been rich in gold since ancient times, the former Soviet Union archaeologists in Bazerek, excavated five large tombs of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, from these tombs unearthed a large number of gold products, including some with the image of the "Griffin" ornaments, visible in the Altai Mountains in the northern part of the Bazerek tombs should be the owner of the legendary "Griffin". is the legendary "Griffin people". They were called "Gold Guardians". From the late Warring States period onwards, as the northern tribes became more and more united and powerful, they had a deep connection with the culture of the Central Plains in a holistic and organized way, mainly through the ancient nomadic tribes in the Altai region.

As globalization advances, the assertion of a particular temporary central narrative is constrained by other connections around it. World Heritage Sites, World Biosphere Reserves, and World Geoparks are united under the umbrella term "UNESCO-listed heritage". It is an inevitable trend for the Chinese civilization to gradually shift from the "Central Plains Center" to the "Regional Type" study. Previously, in the "Central Plains Center Theory" of the "monist" cognitive system, many scholars in China, in the context of the agricultural culture, coincidentally believed that the belt hooks, which were mainly made of bronze metal, originated in the interior of the Spring and Autumn Period, and mainly in the geographic scope of the Five Hegemons and the Deer Race. They severed the historical genesis of the development and change of the belt hook in the whole Asian and European continent just from the style and typology, and they believed that: "The belt hook imported from West Asia was mostly decorated with animal motifs, with only the hook back and knob post, but no knob. Its hook capital curved to the hook back and knob column on the same side, regardless of the shape, decoration and usage and the Eastern Zhou belt hooks are not the same, the origin of the Eastern Zhou belt hooks can only be found in China itself." This point of view is is not comprehensive, bronze belt hook in the long-term production practice, fused with a large number of nomadic culture from the northwest. These whistling mountains and wild horseback people, although few written records of their former glory, but the use of belt hooks on the beasts and beasts of the clan emblems and totem patterns, but can be refracted with distinctive characteristics of the pattern decorative style. Through the further study of bronze belt hooks, the aesthetic purpose and cultural tendency of the mainstream society in the Spring and Autumn, Qin and Han Dynasties are more real and vivid.

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