试论中国新石器时代土洞墓的起源

On the Origin of the Earthen Cave Burials of the Neolithic Age in China

至迟在公元前3300年,土洞墓已在黄河中游地区出现;公元前3000年前后,其分布范围显著扩大;公元前2500年前后,土洞墓在黄河上游地区广为流行;公元前3000年以前,土洞墓不用于合葬,亦不见迁葬和对死者葬式进行调整的迹象。中国新石器时代的土洞墓应起源于仰韶时代中期黄河中游存在丰厚黄土的地区,其动因应是在存在丰厚黄土的自然环境条件下,在人类对黄土直立性特点有充分认识并积累了相关开凿技术的知识技术条件下,在以母系为中心的对偶婚向以父系为中心的一夫一妻和一夫多妻婚姻家庭转变、套间房和长排房出现的社会环境背景下,在以模仿死者生前住居的思维因素的共同作用下,模仿套间房、长排房的结构,对竖穴土坑墓进行改造,营造出以象征“厅堂+卧室”的格局。

At latest in 3300 BC,earthen cave burials have appeared in the middle reach of the Yellow River;around 3000 BC,the distribution of cave burials was noticeably expanded;around 2500 BC,earthen cave burials were widely seen in the upper reach of the Yellow River.Before 3000 BC,earthen cave burials were not used in joint burials,and no traces of reburials and adjustments of burial positions were seen in cave burials either.The cave burials of the Neolithic Age in China would have originated during the mid Yangshao Age in the middle reach of the Yellow River with thick loess accumulation,the intention of the invention of which would be modifying the vertical earthen shaft pit burials to imitate the living spaces of the burial occupants when they were alive like suite houses and row houses consisting of the hall and bedroom under the favorable natural environment of thick loess accumulation and advanced cave-digging technique in the social backgrounds of the changing from dual marriage centered by maternal genealogy to the monogamy or polygyny centered by paternal genealogy and the appearances of the suite houses and row houses.