JIAO Jianhui........................................79

Estimating the Identity of 'Duke Shiping' in the Guyang Cave of the Longmen Grottoes 

Abstract：The Duke of Shiping niche, dedicated by the Bhikku Huicheng for his deceased father, is located at a conspicuous place on the north wall of Guyang Cave, Longmen Grottoes. In the niche, sculptures and motifs carried forward the style from Yungang Grottoes and created Longmen style. The niche is a standard to judge images carved in the Northern Wei’s Taihe period, a reference to analyse different stages of constructing the Guyang Cave, and an essential material for studying the relationship between the Yungang Grottoes and the Longmen Grottoes. However,“the Duke of Shiping”has not been identified by scholars over the years. To this end, this essay began with the list of official titles engraved on the the Duke of Shiping inscription, then studied relevant official titles and figures from the historical records. Together with the review of the the Duke of Shiping niche and its surrounding carving, this essay concludes that the Duke of Shiping’s identity is Mutai, a dissenter of Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen’s idea of transferring capital to Luoyang, and the leader of Daijing Rebellion in the twentieth year of Northern Wei’s Taihe period.

DONG Xiaolei..................................86 

Research on the Chronology of Pottery Production at the Xiaoling Kiln Sites in Southern Shanxi 

Abstract：Through the chronology study of the typical pottery excavated from Xiaoling site in Xinjiang, this paper divides the Longshan period remains of Xiaoling site into three developmental stages, namely, Jingcun culture, Dongguan culture and Sanliqiao culture. Meanwhile, after the study of the layout structure of the kilns and the surrounding ancillary facilities in each period, it is suggested that the pottery industry at Xiaoling pottery kiln site prospered in the Jingcun culture stage, started to decline in the Dongguan culture stage, and may no longer be engaged in the pottery-related activities in the Sanliqiao culture stage. On this basis, issues such as the specialization level of pottery production at the Xiaoling pottery kiln site are discussed, and it is believed that the pottery production at the Xiaoling pottery kiln site has already developed to certain scale with fairly high level of specialization.

WU Simeng........................................94 

Re-examining the Identity of Chiyou Through the Tsinghua Bamboo Slips 'Wu Ji' 

Abstract：The ancient society was a clan society, different political and military groups or the relationship between the size of the community that was, the relationship of community affiliation, those separated or under the jurisdiction of the sub-community organizations were often called zi clan. The new Tsinghua Bamboo Slips“Wuji”were written in a similar era to the “Zuo Zhuan”“, Guo Yu”and so on, the text “Huang Di has a son said Chi You”of the“son”also refers to the“clan”, was to say that in the Huang Di-led clan there was a Chi You Department in the Confederation. Chi You was the southern Miao tribe north of the name of the clan leader and the unity of the clan name, for the Huang Di clan conquered and become part of it, some literature called the Huang Di vassal or the Huang Di minister, although the expression was different and actually refers to the same. The meaning of“clan”derived from the word“son” was the result of the generalization of the kinship title system to the political sphere in the ancient period.

LIU Songlin & YAN Zhangyi.........................................102 

Analysis of the Craftsmanship Quality and Related Issues of Proto-Porcelain Artifacts Excavated from Han Tombs in the Yangzhou Area 

Abstract：A large number of proto-porcelain artifacts have been unearthed from Han dynasty tombs in the Yangzhou area, which is believed to have originated from the core region of Yue culture in Zhejiang through waterborne trade. These artifacts are intermediate between the proto-porcelain of the Shang and Zhou periods and the mature porcelain. The craftsmanship quality of proto-porcelain varied between the Western Han and early Eastern Han periods. In the early Western Han period, the craftsmanship was relatively high, and the tomb owners who were buried with proto-porcelain were of higher status. During the mid to late Western Han period, particularly in the late Western Han, the development of proto-porcelain reached its peak in terms of quantity and scale, but the craftsmanship quality dropped to its lowest point. Most artifacts from this period have coarse, loose bodies with poor clay-glaze adhesion and severe glaze peeling, with some pieces retaining only traces of glaze. The uniformity of shapes was relatively poor, and firing deformations were common. Only a few artifacts from this period were of relatively good craftsmanship. The social status of the tomb owners ranged from nobility to commoners, corresponding to the quality of the proto-porcelain. There was little change in the early Eastern Han period. The differences in craftsmanship quality of proto-porcelain artifacts from Han dynasty tombs in this area are attributed to factors such as the social context, natural resources, technological conditions, and the social status of the tomb owners.

ZHU Anxiang et al. ......................................112 

Research on the Casting Technique of Half-Tael Coins Based on Excavated Coin Molds and Simulation Experiments 

Abstract：There are abundant types of Ban Liang coin-minting models and molds found in archeology, not only can be divided into master patterns and casting molds, but also three types of materials: pottery, stone and metal. Through the study of Ban Liang coin-minting models, it can be seen that the casting process of Ban Liang coins is the coin casting with hard molds, which has experienced the casting process of’ancestral patterns → master patterns → casting molds’, and the different functions and materials of Ban Liang coins are also different in the casting process. The coin casting with hard molds includes vertical coin casting with block molds and coin casting with overlaped pottery molds. While the Ban Liang coin casting is mainly based on the vertical coin casting with block molds, the coin casting with overlaped pottery molds also appeared in the Western Han Dynasty, which is an important manifestation of the development of China’s coin casting process.

DUAN Chenggang & GUO Xin..........................................121 

Newly Discovered Epitaphs of Wei Yuanfang and Wei Chengqing and An Exploration of Political Affairs in the Early Reign of Emperor Gaozong of Tang 

Abstract：In the winter of 2019, the Xi'an Municipal Institute of Cultural Heritage Preservation and Archaeology excavated the early Tang dynasty epitaphs of Wei Yuanfang and Wei Chengqing from Shangtapuo Village in the southern suburbs of Xi’an. The epitaphs reveal that this branch of the Wei family originated from the Xiaoyao Duke’s lineage and briefly document their official careers. From the late Northern Dynasties to the early Tang dynasty, their family was part of the Guanlong Group. The epitaphs record that Wei Yuanfang and Wei Chengqing were demoted to Baling County during the reign of Emperor Gaozong of Tang and eventually died there. They were reburied in Chang’an in the third year of Shangyuan (676). A preliminary interpretation of the epitaphs of Wei Yuanfang and his son serves to supplement the genealogy of the Xiaoyao branch of the Wei family and contributes to the study of related historical events in the early years of Emperor Gaozong’s reign.

ZHANG Feng.................................126 

A Study of the Stele Inscription 'Record of the Imperial Decree for Establishing a Prefectural School in Shanzhou' from the Northern Song Dynasty 

Abstract：The monument of Shanzhou offical school’s founding mainly records the history of the construction of Shanzhou offical school in Chongning period of the Northern Song Dynasty. This paper mainly interprets and discusses the new materials of“LIU Zhongyou’s inscription”“Map of Shanzhou offical school”and “Foreword of the map of Shanzhou offical school”that found on the inscriptions and stele, which provides new information and puts forward new viewpoints for the study of the construction, institutional scale, location change and development of Shanzhou offical school.

YOU Yongbin et al. ................................134 

Scientific Analysis Research on the Bronze Artifacts Excavated from Tomb M27 at Yejiashan Cemetery in Suizhou, Hubei Province 

Abstract：This paper analyzes the bronze wares unearthed from Yejiashan M27 through scientific and technological detection methods. The results show that among the 17 containers, there are 9 pieces of tin bronze and 8 pieces of lead-tin bronze; some of the assembled utensils are made separately, and some are made of the same ratio of metal materials. This batch of bronze wares was made by casting technology and had two types of microstructures: casting and heating-after-casting. Among them, 8 samples of the utensil body showed the after-cast microstructure, and 9 pieces were heated after casting. The lead contained in the 9 bronze container samples analyzed is all common lead; the decoration, modeling, and lead isotope ratio characteristics of Gefugui Gui M27:28 indicate that they were circulated to M27 in Yejiashan through plundering, gifting,“dividing vessels”, buying and other methods. Other utensils belong to the category of common lead of class A and class C, and among the inscription copper wares of other clans, some utensils used the same or similar mineral materials as Zengguo bronze wares, while others used different minerals, which reflect important information on the circulation of bronze materials in the early and middle Western Zhou Dynasty, and some of them circulated in sets. Some utensils used low-melting-point solder technology.

ZHAO Hong..................................141 

Research on Glazed Ceramic Wares Excavated from the Tomb of Li Heng in Puyang, Henan Province

Abstract：The tomb of LI Heng in Puyang City, Henan Province, which had been scientifically excavated and with clear date, provides important information for the study of late Northern Dynasty tombs in the Central Plains region. Over 284 artifacts were unearthed, including porcelain, lead glazed pottery, tomb epitaphs and so on. The discovery of both celadon and lead glazed pottery lotus petal patterned jar, green glazed stem cup with dancing and performing design, is a reflection of social integration and mutual learning in the late Northern Dynasty, providing important physical objects for the study of cultural exchanges along the Silk Road, as well as the production and trade of celadon and lead glazed pottery.