杆头饰的起源、分布区域及功能

The Origin,Distribution Area and Function of Pole-top

杆头饰是一种动物圆雕的小件铜器,也是礼仪活动的仪仗用具,偶尔也被视为权杖。杆头饰分布在西起东南欧、北高加索、欧亚大草原、西伯利亚及蒙古高原的广阔地区,并波及西亚的安纳托利亚、伊朗和中国北方长城地带,主要流行于公元前9~前3世纪,此时正是斯基泰文化形成并大肆扩张的时期。随着斯基泰文化的衰落,杆头饰也逐渐衰亡。中国境内的杆头饰集中出现在春秋战国时期,最晚至汉代,主要流行于北方长城沿线和西北地区,与斯基泰文化的东传密切相关。四川、云南一带的杆头饰出现稍晚,应是北方草原文化南下影响的产物。据考古发现和研究,杆头饰最早出现在前斯基泰时期,其源头就在黑海北部的东南欧和北高加索一带。在其出现之初已具备了象征身份地位的功能,后逐渐发展为礼仪活动的仪仗,偶尔也扮演权杖的角色。

The pole-top is a small zoomorphic circular engravure,a certain type of bronze ware.It is also a ceremonial tool for ritual activities,occasionally regarded as a scepter.Pole-tops are distributed in the vast belt along southeast Europe,North Caucasus,Eurasian steppe,Siberia and Mongolian Plateau,and are spread to Anatolia and Iran in Western Asia and the Great Wall area of northern China.It was prevalent in the period between 9 th and 3 rd centuries BC,when the formation and expansion of the Scythian culture took shape.With the decline of the Scythian culture,pole-tops also gradually declined.Pole-tops in China mainly emerged in the Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period,and was prevalent along the northern Great Wall area and Northwest China,closely related to the eastward spread of the Scythian culture.The advent of the pole-top in Sichuan and Yunnan was later,which could be resulted from the influence of northern steppe cultures to the south.Extant archaeological evidence suggests that the pole-top emerged in the pre-Scythian period,and its origin was in Southeast Europe and North Caucasus,north of the Black Sea region.At the beginning it functioned as the symbol of status,and then gradually developed into a ceremonial tool for the guard of honor,and occasionally played the role of scepter.