中原所见三代权杖(头)及相关问题的思考

以往的研究认为,权杖在传入中国的最初阶段,只是游弋于华夏边缘,中原王朝似乎并未接受这一外来文化特质。本文梳理了以往在河南、山西和陕西考古发现的权杖(头),发现这些权杖均出自三代时期王畿内的高等级墓葬,其使用者包括诸侯国国君、国君夫人、高官、军事首领或高等贵族。从而证明,夏、商、周时期部分社会高层已接纳权杖,并将其与中国传统礼仪器具中的斧钺、青铜礼器并列,共同构成象征王权和身份等级的标志物。这一新认识对深化早期东西文化交流的研究具有重要意义。

On the Maces/Mace Heads of the Three Dynasties in the Central Plains

Previous studies argued that maces/mace heads only appeared in the Chinese borderlands in the initial stage of their introduction into China.According to this opinion,early dynasties in the Central Plains of China did not accept the usage of maces or mace heads,which were of foreign origins.This article has systematically studied maces/mace heads found in the archaeological sites of Henan,Shanxi,and Shaanxi provinces.It is clear that these artifacts all came from high-level tombs in the capital areas of sandai,"Three Dynasties."Occupants of these burials include vassal state rulers,their spouses,senior officials,military leaders or other high elites.It shows that some high-level social groups of sandai adopted maces and juxtaposed them with bronze axes,as well as traditional ceremonial utensils in China(e.g.,ritual bronzes).These objects,all together,constituted symbols for kingship,royal power and status.This new view is of great significance in broading our understanding of the early cultural exchanges between the East and the West.