试论史前时期长江流域随葬猪下颌骨习俗

长江下游西部北阴阳营文化、薛家岗文化随葬猪下颌骨的习俗比较广泛,汉水流域甚至发展为主要以猪下颌骨随葬的葬仪。随葬猪下颌骨所彰显的财富与地位特征逐渐变强后再渐弱。距今7000年左右,即在随葬猪下颌骨的最初阶段,只体现出一定的财富属性。距今6000—4500年,随葬猪下颌骨隐含的财富与地位特征最强。之后,这种习俗渐趋消失,与财富、地位的关联性也微乎其微。随葬猪下颌骨的习俗可能是与黄河流域社会上层交流的要素之一。

The Custom of Pig Lower Jaws as Funeral Items in the Yangtze River Basin in Prehistoric Age

The inclusion of pig lower jaws in funeral items was widely seen in the west of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River in the Beiyinyangying Culture and XuejiagangCulture.In the Han River basin,it even developed into a distinct burial ritual where pig lower jaws were the primary funeral items.The prac-tice to use pig lower jaws as a symbol of wealth and social status gained its popularity gradually then faded away.About 7000 years ago during the initial stage of pig lower jaws burial,this practice was symbolic of wealth difference only to a limited degree.From 6,000 years ago to 4500 years ago,this symbolic meaning was the most evident.After that,this custom gradually disappeared and its relevance to wealth and social sta-tus was minimal.The custom of burying pig lower jaws is believed to be one of the elements that had been communicated between the upper class of the Yangtze River basin and that of the Yellow River basin.