Tag: week4

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hst137

Reflection of the Things Found in the Tombs

As discussed by Armin Selbitschka in “Miniature Tomb Figurines and Models in Pre-Imperial and Early Imperial China: Origins, Development and Significance,” the transition from human sacrifice to figurine inclusion is a topic that I pondered on during the week. One reason that explains the substitution is addressed by Confucian argument: “figurines rather suddenly replaced human sacrifices for moral reasons” (37). Selbitschka highlights that the practice of performing human sacrifices and the use of statuettes overlapped for nearly a millenium–one thousand years (37). A change in ritual and practice over a millenium did not seem “rather sudden” to me.

In order to understand the relationship, or determine if one exists, between the sacrificed humans and the figurines found in the tombs, I have to figure out whether this transition was due to a gradual substitution or an unrelated correlation. More concisely, “The more pertinent question, then, is: did human sacrifices and miniature figurines fulfil similar functions in tombs? (37). With more research, it was determined that “the statuettes clearly represent servants, musicians, soldiers and so forth” (38). Eventually, the tradition of human sacrifice when preparing someone’s tomb was substituted with the statuettes.

Three Things I Learned

  • Regardless of how shocking certain practices may be to me personally, I am in no position to judge because it likely comes from a culture that I do not know anything about.
  • Figurines represent people with different occupations. Their identities can be determined by the position of the body and limbs, showing an action.
  • One’s spot in a tomb indicates ownership, contributing to the idea of a “little empire.”

Bibliographic References

Ledderose, Lothar. Ten Thousand Things : Module and Mass Production in Chinese Art. The A.W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts, 1998. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2000.

Hung, Wu. The Art of the Yellow Springs: Understanding Chinese Tombs. London: Reaktion Books, 2010.

Selbitschka, Armin. “Miniature Tomb Figurines and Models in Pre-Imperial and Early Imperial China: Origins, Development and Significance.” World Archaeology 47, no. 1 (2015): 20-44.

Categories
hst137

First Real Reflection

My learning in this course so far has exceeded my expectations. To be candid, I had somewhat strong doubts about a completely asynchronous course. As I mentioned in my introductory post to the Cloud Lounge, when I am inside a classroom, I am present and ready to learn. However, when we transitioned to remote learning last semester, I seriously struggled with paying attention and understanding the content. My initial thoughts have been slowly changing, now that we are several weeks into the fall semester. Perhaps it was my worried mindset that pushed me to put extra effort and brain power into the weekly assignments, resulting in more focused and effective learning. Another reason could be the consistent and organized workload as well as encouraged interactions between classmates.

In terms of participation, the interactions via commenting on blog posts makes it easier to find another layer to address, consider another perspective, and reflect on my own written thoughts. This form of participation is beneficial because I have to read more on the topic or read about the other topics that I did not focus on in order to formulate meaningful responses to and stimulating questions for my classmates.

One part that I am majorly lacking in is preparation. I am so afraid of submitting late work that I try to finish it immediately, as soon as it is assigned. While this plan itself is a pro, a con that comes along with it is cursory reading. My understanding of the topic is shallow by the time I write my initial posts, and it is obvious. I will try to improve my initial posts by giving myself more time to read the material. Additionally, I will maximize my efficiency when reading the literary works and observing the other contents by removing distractions (my phone and other opened tabs) before starting. I realized that I digest the newfound information throughout the week by interacting and participating in the way mentioned before. At the end of the week, I use the discussions–my comments and initial post as well as others’ comments and initial posts–to kickstart my reflection. They provide important insights that I did not mention at all or could expand on. My end-of-the-week reflections, I believe, show a growth in my knowledge by considering other perspectives and including more substance than my initial posts. As I compare my reflections with my classmates, nevertheless, I realize that mine are more vague. I will try to be more explicit and clear with my words and thoughts.

I try to make connections, week by week, adding little strokes to the bigger picture. Still, I think that the connections and patterns that I actually notice are too insignificant or not insightful enough to consider myself to be a historian, that is if I can even see the connections and patterns. I think the question of where or in whom does the power lie is embedded into each week’s learning. This thought leads me to consider the hows and especially the whys.

Categories
hst137

Inside Tombs of Early China

The assigned readings and other works helped to establish my basic knowledge about the tombs of ancient China, especially Wu Hung’s The Art of the Yellow Springs: Understanding Chinese Tombs. Wu makes a statement that I found striking yet helped me to digest the mountains of information that follow: “The moment of entombment thus marks a radical shift in the identity and meaning of the underground chamber and their contents” (8). He carries on by explaining that the bodies and the contents prior to concealing the tomb are all under scrutiny, but once enclosed, they can no longer be seen by human eyes and are no longer part of this world.

Now, I am starting to see the connections between the weekly content learned, such as the value of art and religion. Wu describes the discovery of the tomb of Queen Fu Hao of the Shang Dynasty. In it, 200 monumental bronze vessels, 500 bone carvings, and 200 bronze weapons (11). As I learn about where all these objects ultimately reside and why, I unearth another layer of connections, answers, as well as questions. The term, “little empires,” used by Armin Selbitschka in “Miniature Tomb Figurines and Models in Pre-Imperial and Early Imperial China: Origins, Development and Significance,” indicated the importance of the afterlife, the objects, like the miniature figurines, tomb assembly, and so on for people of early China.

Female Dancer, Earthenware with slip and pigment, China
Female Dancer of second century B.C.E, China.

Hung, Wu. The Art of the Yellow Springs: Understanding Chinese Tombs. London: Reaktion Books, 2010.

Selbitschka, Armin. “Miniature Tomb Figurines and Models in Pre-Imperial and Early Imperial China: Origins, Development and Significance.” World Archaeology 47, no. 1 (2015): 20-44.

Gallery of Han tomb objects: Google Arts and Culture collection of Mawangdui objects and list of objects from the MET (NYC)

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