An Isotopic Perspective on Animal Husbandry at the Xinzhai Site During the Initial Stage of the Legendary Xia Dynasty (2070–1600 BC)

Located in the Central Plains of China, the early Xia Dynasty site of Xinzhai (2050 BC–1750 BC) with large archaeological features and exquisite artifacts of jade and copper is pivotal for probing the origin and formation of Chinese civilisation. Here, stable isotope ratios analysis, supplemented by zooarchaeological results, was used to investigate the exploitation and management of animals utilised by humans. It was demonstrated that a diverse pattern of animal raising and exploitation was present at the Xinzhai site. The domestic pigs were fed with substantial amounts of millets or their byproducts to guarantee a food source for the dietary demands of the humans. Dogs were also found to have consumed large amounts of C₄ protein sources, likely in the form of human food scraps or leftovers. The domestic herbivores, sheep and cattle, showed different dietary characteristics in that the former mainly grazed in the natural environment, while the latter species were fed with large amounts of C₄ products. This intra‐species variation was somewhat related to their physiological characteristics but seems to have been more determined by their different status in social and ritual activities. Thus, this research at Xinzhai provides a glimpse of the organisation of animal resources during the initial formation of Chinese civilisation. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Raising Practices of Neolithic Livestock Evidenced by Stable Isotope Analysis in the Wei River Valley,North China

Although a patchwork of projects shows a process of agriculture intensification in North China during the Neolithic, the impact of cereal farming on animal husbandry and their mutual interaction remain cloudy. This study reports bone collagen δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N of humans and animals from Wayaogou (ca 6.5–6.0 kyrs bp ) and Dongying (ca 5.9–5.6 kyrs bp , 4.6–4.0 kyrs bp ) to explore temporal trend of livestock raising and particularly the importance of millet fodder to stock raising practices in the Wei River valley, North China. The isotopic evidence overall shows that millet products increased in human and domestic animal diets during the mentioned chronological span. δ¹³C values of pigs and dogs at Dongying are higher than those at Wayaogou, implying that the importance of millet nutrients increased to animal husbandry diachronically. Interestingly, δ¹³C results of domestic cattle of Dongying late phase (−14.1 ± 1.1‰, N = 5) are more enriched than Wayaogou wild Bos (−17.8 ± 0.3‰, N = 3), indicating that millet fodder had taken a significant place in early cattle husbandry. Besides, differences between Bos species of the two periods also imply that δ¹³C values of bone collagen constitute a potential indicator for tracing the origin of cattle husbandry in North China. In addition, domestic sheep at Dongying produced similar isotope data to wild ovicaprid at Wayaogou, suggesting that they possibly had grazed for the most in grassland and therefore experienced a different lifestyle from cattle. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

简论艺术符号

艺术符号并不表现概念,也不代表这个概念所指向的任何具体事物。具体到艺术品中,我们从中体会到的是浸透着情感的表现,而不是一种情感标示的记号,因此把艺术品称之为"有意味的形式"。一件艺术品浸透着情感、心境或是供它表现的其他具有生命力的经验,这也就是称其为"表现性形式"的原因,对于其所表现的东西,我们并不称之为"意义",而是称之为"意味"。     

大唐文化与唐人精神散论——以唐人诚信故事为例

唐太宗曾言:"以史为鉴,可以知兴替。"如果能将历代人对当时国家社会治理的满意度与现在作比较,就可以知道现在哪些地方做得好、哪些地方需要改进。本文以唐人诚信故事为例,论述了大唐精神中最有价值的自爱、自信、自尊和让天下人折服的诚信。     

Quarantine sovereignty during the pneumonic plague in Northeast China (November 1910–April 1911)

The pneumonic plague, which spread over Northeast China during the winter of 1910 and the spring of 1911, caused a great many deaths and brought about severe social turmoil. After compulsory quarantine and other epidemic preventative measures were enforced by the Russian and Japanese colonial authorities in both north and south Manchuria, the local government of Northeast China, lacking similar quarantine and epidemic prevention procedures, was under the threat of forced intervention. It had to establish modern public health agencies in a short time following the compulsory quarantine and epidemic prevention methods of the Russian and Japanese colonial authorities, although they caused many social conflicts and confrontations. In this respect, the quarantine and epidemic prevention measures that were implemented at that time can never be simply and absolutely labeled as “progressive.” However, a “sympathetic understanding” can be upheld for the sufferings of the common people, for the various unpleasant but necessary measures taken by the Chinese government in order to safeguard sovereignty and prevent Russian and Japanese intervention, and also for the transformation of public health systems later carried out because of lessons learned from this painful experience.     

周代交聘礼中的对等性原则

对等性是周代交聘礼中的重要原则,是中国古代发展政治实体、政权、民族、乃至国家之间和平交往关系的重要准则和宝贵的政治思想财富。其对等性原则主要体现在:一是交聘主体的对等性。《仪礼.聘礼》和周之《秩官》所载典型的交聘关系,其交聘主体是两个对等诸侯国及其国君。二是接待人员的对等性。如果聘国以卿、大夫、士组成使团,则主国亦设置与此级别一一相对应的接待官员组合以负责接待事宜。三是接待仪节的对等性。交聘礼仪中宾主双方在服饰、进退揖让和面向等具体仪节均一一对等均衡,贯穿于聘礼的全过程。对等性原则在周代产生并非偶然,一方面,周代分封制度所贯穿的等级秩序,为交往关系中等级性的敌体、对等关系提供了"法理"上、制度上和事实上的依据。另一方面,对于"礼"的辩证思维和"中"、"和"、"德"等理念与对称、平衡的文化意蕴则是聘礼中对等性原则产生的理论基础和文化依据。周代交聘礼中的对等性原则不仅在日后汉唐时期的交聘制度中有所继承、借鉴,而且与近现代国际关系中的对等性原则亦有相似、相通之处。     

试论佛教对王维的救赎

王维的人生正应验了佛教悲观主义的人生哲学。佛教对人生的看法及救赎对屡遭挫折的王维颇有启发。佛教对物质、对精神的需求都不能执著,这也是佛教的核心。王维后来与李林甫、杨国忠同朝听命,自然不能执著,正因如此,他才能在险恶的政治环境中安身立命。主观上使自己于身心相离中求得身心的统一。在客观上,这也是远祸避害的重要手段,佛教在王维亦官亦隐的生涯中确实起到了救赎的作用。而安史乱后的四五年,王维虽尽力逃向空门,但其心灵并未真正逃离煎熬。     

东汉士人群体自觉意识形成原因考察

中国古代士人的群体自觉意识,萌芽于春秋战国时期,全面兴起于东汉中后期。其兴起之原因,一是土地私有化的完成,地主庄园经济的出现,尤其是东汉士人对劳动态度的改变,使士人生存方式发生重大变化,使其在经济上有了独立性,为其人格独立打下了物质基础;二是东汉统治者对士人尤其是对归隐士人的相对宽容,为士人自觉意识的培养提供了宽松的环境;三是士人队伍的扩大,尤其是中央官学规模的扩大和校舍的扩充,为士人个体自觉意识转化为群体意识提供了中心场所;四是东汉中后期宦官外戚专权,又为士人群体自觉意识的激发和张扬提供了外部条件。     

试论黄石西塞山宋代钱窖的性质

本文通过对吕文德及其家族史的考辨,并通过对宋朝经济及钱币流通制度的分析,认为黄石西塞山历次出土窖藏钱币的性质,是南宋朝廷在军事紧急情况下窖藏的库钱。     

云冈石窟石质文物表面污染物清洗效果检测技术实验

云冈石窟长年暴露于自然界风化环境中,以及近些年来,周围煤矿的开采带来的环境污染,极大地影响及危害云冈石窟石雕艺术品的价值及保存,影响云冈石雕文物的有效寿命.为此,通过对云冈石窟三种典型的污染物、粉尘、烟熏及表面结垢进行清洗实验,并采用色差仪、显微视频成像仪及三维形貌仪对清洗效果进行检测,特别的是三维形貌对加固样品和空白样品的形貌变化比较分析,得出样品的显微形态及表面粗糙度数据,对文物的“最少人为干预”和“不改变文物原状”原则的评价给予了支持,为石质文物清洗效果评估提供了新的方法.