Erliitou map

Map showing the general extent of the Erlitou culture. Detail from original at WikiMedia Commons by Kanguole [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]

Shang Dynasty map

Approximate extent of the late Shang Dynasty. Detail from original at Wikimedia Commons by Kanguole [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]

Zhou Dynasty Map

Map of the various Zhou states, original at Wikimedia Commons by SY [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]

Map of Gojoseon influence

Map of the influence of “Gojoseon” culture, original on Wikimedia Commons by bibimgirl [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]

Welcome back! As we come out of the general turkey-and-stuffing-induced comas here in the US, we’ll be taking a break from the Japanese archipelago this episode and looking out across the water at what has been going on over on the mainland. We are especially going to be looking at the Yellow River Basin through to the Korean Peninsula. See the maps here for more context on the geographic settings in this particular episode.

Modern saddle crupper showing the position on the horse… well, I suspect you get the idea. Original image from Wikimedia Commons by Una Smith [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]

By the way, on the “Emperor Horse Crupper”, I should note that some English texts refer to him as “King”. This is probably a more accurate translation, though the term “Emperor” does show up in the dynastic names of this time. By some accounts “Emperor” really doesn’t apply until the Qin dynasty. There are similar arguments about the Japanese imperial line when we get there. Oh, and in case anyone is wondering what a “horse crupper” refers to (besides the name of the emperor), here is a helpful illustration, on the left. For those wondering, the character is 紂.

Finally, some examples of various bronzes and other artifacts from the continent between the Shang and Zhou Dynasty periods, including artifacts from the Korean bronze age.

Bronze lid with inscrtiption

Western Zhou dynasty bronze lid from the Smithsonian’s Freer-Sackler Gallery. According to information at the Freer-Sackler, the inscription commemorates meetings and rituals in Chengzhou during the reign of King Zhao, 4th ruler of Zhou.

Bronze fang ding

Western Zhou bronze fang (square-shaped) ding from the Smithsonian’s Freer-Sackler Gallery. Photo by author.

Oracle bone

Pre-Zhou oracle bone, from the Smithsonian’s Freer-Sackler Gallery. Photo by author.

Oracle Bone

Shang Dynasty oracle bone from the Shanghai Museum of History. Photo by author.

Oracle bone inscription

Details of the Shang Dynasty oracle bone inscription from the Shanghai Museum of History. Photo by author.

Bronze Weapons

Shang Dynasty halberds, aka “dagger axe”, from the Shanghai Museum of History. Photo of author.

Bronze Ding and Jia

Shang Dynasty bronze ding (cauldron) and jia from the Shanghai Museum of History. Photo by author.

Bronze Jue

Shang Dynasty bronze jue, a vessel for warming grain-based alcoholic beverages prior to drinking, from the Smithsonian’s Freer-Sackler Gallery. Photo by author.

Bronze You

Shang Dynasty bronze you, from the Smithsonian’s Freer-Sackler Gallery. Photo by author.

Bronze Zun

Shang Dynasty bronze zun (vase) from the Shanghai Museum of History. Photo by author.

Bronze bell

Western Zhou Dynasty bronze bell from the Shaanxi History Museum. Photo by author.

Bronze bell set

Western Zhou Dynasty bronze bell set from the Shanghai Museum of History. Photo by author.

Bronze

Western Zhou bronze with inscription in the lid, from the Smithsonian’s Freer-Sackler Gallery. Photo by author.

Bronze daggers

Western Zhou bronze daggers from the Beijing Capital Museum. Photo by author.

Bronze ding

Western Zhou bronze ding from the Smithsonian’s Freer-Sackler Gallery. Photo by author.

Bronze Gui

Western Zhou bronze gui from the Beijing Capital Museum. Photo by author.

Bronze Gui

Western Zhou bronze gui from the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art. Lids (not shown) had inscriptions that said "Wen Xian [had this] made for deceased father Ding.” Photo by author.

Bronze He

Western Zhou bronze he from the New York Metropolitan Museum. Photo by author.

Bronze Hu

Western Zhou bronze hu from the Beijing Capital Museum. Photo by author.

Bronze Lei

Western Zhou bronze lei from the Shaanxi History Museum. Photo by author.

Chariot equipment

Western Zhou bronze chariot equipment, from the Beijing Capital Museum. Chariots were a key element of military power on the continent. Photo by author.

Bronze statue

Eastern Zhou bronze statue of a charioteer, from the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art. Photo by author.

Bronze Dui

5th Century Eastern Zhou bronze dui from the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art. Photo by author.

Glass beads

Eastern Zhou glass beads from the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art. Photo by author.

Lacquer bowls

Eastern Zhou (~300 BCE) lacquered bowls from the Indianapolis Art Museum. Photo by author.

Bronze pan

Zhou dynasty bronze pan (dish) from the Shaanxi History Museum. The dish is held aloft by four naked men, each missing their left foot, indicative of a type of harsh punishment, called Yue. Those who survived such a punishment were made slaves for the rest of their lives.

Liaoning bronze daggers

Examples of the bronze daggers in Liaoning, from the Seoul National Museum. Photo by author.

Bronze molds

Examples of bronze molds from the Seoul National Museum. Photo by author.

Bronze ge example

An example showing how a “ge” (dagger-axe or halberd) was mounted on a staff, from the Tokyo National Museum. Photo by author.

Bronze Ge

Korean peninsular bronze dagger-axes, from the Tokyo National Museum. Photo by author.

Bronze daggers

Korean bronze daggers from the Tokyo National Museum. Photo by author.

Bronze dagger-axe and spear

Korean bronze dagger-axe and spear from the Tokyo National Museum. Photo by author.

References

2018 Li, Dora (trans.); “Two Ancient Chinese Stories: King Wen and King Wu”, Excerpt from Treasured Tales of China, trans. By Dora Li, https://www.theepochtimes.com/two-ancient-chinese-stories-king-wen-and-king-wu_2601618.html

2017 Barnes, Gina; Archaeology of East Asia: The Rise of Civilisation in China, Korea and Japan. Oxbow Books.

2015 Kim, Bumcheol; “Socioeconomic Development in the Bronze Age: Archaeological Understanding of the Transition from the Early to Middle Bronze Age, South Korea” https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/55550/07_AP_54.1kim.pdf

2010 Ahn, Sung-Mo; “The emergence of rice agriculture in Korea: archaeobotanical perspectives” https://www.academia.edu/26244202/The_emergence_of_rice_agriculture_in_Korea_archaeobotanical_perspectives

2007 RHEE, S., AIKENS, C., CHOI, S., & RO, H. “Korean Contributions to Agriculture, Technology, and State Formation in Japan: Archaeology and History of an Epochal Thousand Years, 400 B.C.–A.D. 600”. Asian Perspectives, 46(2), 404-459. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/42928724

2004 Kim, Seong-hwan, ed.; Atlas of Korean History. History Education Department, Korean National University of Education; and Skyejul Publishing, Ltd.

2000 Theobald, Ulrich; China Knowledge.de – An Encyclopedia on Chinese History, Literature, and Art; http://www.chinaknowledge.de/History/Zhou/personszhouwenwang.html

1989 Fairbank-Reischauer; China: Tradition and Transformation (Revised Edition).