曾公(田求)编钟铭文初步释读

Interpreting Inscriptions on Chime Bells Unearthed from Tomb of the Duke Qiu of the Zeng State

2019年,随州枣树林曾国贵族墓地M190出土的曾公(田求)编钟与同墓地出土曾侯與编钟、嬭加编钟铭文可以互相印证,内容非常重要。本文对该编钟铭文进行释读和初步的注释,考订出编钟年代在公元前646年。文章指出曾国的爵称为侯,但是因为曾公(田求)重新得到了周王室的册命,取得了"公"的爵命。文章还利用铭文资料重新探讨了曾国疆域等问题。

In 2019, a set of bronze chime bells were unearthed from the tomb M190 at the Zaoshulin cemetery in Suizhou City. Confirmed later as belonging to the Duke Qiu of the Zeng state, the chime bells have inscriptions whose contents could be cross-checked with the inscriptions on chime bells unearthed from tombs of Mijia and the Marquis Yu of the Zeng state, both revealed at the Zaoshulin cemetery as well. Realizing the high academic value underlying the inscriptions, the present paper attempts to interpret the inscriptions on the chime bells from tomb of the Duke Qiu. It is concluded that(1) the chime bells were manufactured in the year of 646 BC;and(2) while marquis peerage is well known for the state of Zeng, the Marquis Qiu was also conferred the title of Duke from the Zhou royal families. Based on the interpretation of the inscriptions, the present paper investigates the lineages of Nangong and the marquises’ families of the Zeng state and presents a tentative discussion on the territories of the Zeng state.