“耒”的演变与“犁”的产生

EVOLUTION OF LEI AND FORMATION OF PLOUGH IN ANCIENT CHINA

本文依据考古学、民族学资料及古文献资料，对在古代农业生产中发挥重要作用的农具耒和犁的形制、使用及相互间的关系作了重新考察。认为：最远在距今６０００—７０００年前的仰韶文化时期，已出现直尖耒，继而在距今５０００年左右的龙山文化时期出现双齿耒、斜尖曲柄耒（句耒）。犁不仅是从耒演变而来，更具体地说应是从斜尖耒（句耒）进化而来。犁耕先于牛耕而出现，时间约在新石器时代晚期到金石并用时代。秦汉以后，双齿耒逐渐被木叶式农具——锸所代替，锸作为农具从秦汉以后地位日升，并从中原推广到江南，一直沿用到隋唐。早期的木石犁由于有相当的局限性，在夏商时期，未得到很好的推广，至西周以后金属（铁）大量用于制造农具，犁才被广泛使用。

ccording to archaeological unearthing materials, ethnology data, and classic documents, this paper makes a new examination on Lei(耒) and Chinese traditional plough as well as their structures, applications and their mutual relation. The author points out that Lei can be divided into two types, one type with a straight handle and a straight end, it appeared in Yangshao period,the other type includes Shuang Chi Lei Lei with a two-geared end) and Juci Lei,Lei with a crooked handle and a slope end), they appeared in Longshan period. The traditional plough just stemmed from the latter—Lei with a crooked handle and a slope end. First, ploughing came into being, next the cowploughing emerged. After the Qin and Han dynasties, lei with a twogeared end was replaced gradually by Cha( a kind of wooden leaflike farm tools, it was the embryonic form of spade). Cha was spread from centre plain to the southern areas of Changjiang River, and was used till the SuiTang dynasties. The early woodstone plough, because of itself's limitation, was not spread actively during the XiaShang dynasties. Only after Xi Zhou Dynasty, the metal iron was widely used to make farm tools, ploughs could be made full use of, and then were widely spread.