中国史前舞蹈纹彩陶盆的新考释

New Examination of Prehistoric Painted Pottery with Dance Pattern in China

从仰韶文化彩陶纹样以鱼(蛙)作为主要母题,到马家窑文化彩陶以鸟作为主要母题的发展变化,实际上是确认了其祭祀活动“对象”的变化,即反映了由渔猎为主的游牧生活——生殖崇拜为主向农耕为主的定居生活——太阳崇拜为主的衍变。马家窑文化彩陶以鸟纹作为主要的母题,表明了这一时期马家窑先民的太阳崇拜信仰与祭祀活动的存在。舞蹈纹彩陶盆的发掘出土是一项伟大的发现,它证实了马家窑先民为农作物的丰产、人类自身所作的种种努力,包括这种“寓人以鸟”的舞蹈祭祀活动,也说明了因太阳崇拜而创造的祭祀舞蹈——祭鸟(日)舞蹈,与马家窑彩陶由鱼纹至鸟纹衍变发展的一致性,更是与马家窑文化时期社会经济衍变发展的一致性。而从鱼、鸟纹的发展来看,在马家窑祭鸟(祭日)舞蹈之前,仰韶文化时期一定存在过一种祭鱼(祭生殖)的舞蹈,它是仰韶先民为生殖崇拜的人口繁衍而作的祭祀性舞蹈。彩陶盆舞蹈纹饰所呈现的远古先民的舞蹈活动,是中华民族的一种文化记忆,其内涵的祈求愿望与生存斗争,为中华民族的一些基本传统奠定了基础。

The change from the motif of fish (frog) on the painted pottery of Yangshao Culture to the motif of birds on the painted pottery of Majiayao Culture ascertains the change of the subject for worship,reflecting the change of nomadic livelihood of fishing and hunting,which worships reproduction,to settled livelihood of agriculture,which worships sun. The motif of birds,as shown on the painted pottery of Majiayao Culture,indicates the existence of sun-worship. The excavation of painted pottery with dance pattern is a great discovery because it proves the efforts of Majiayao people devoted in agriculture and human development. This dance worship of "metaphor of human by birds"indicates the birds (sun) dance worship,which developed from the sun-worship,is in consistence with the change from fish pattern to birds pattern in Majiayao Culture. Furthermore,this change is in consistence with the social economic development of Majiayao Culture.Looking at the development of the patterns of fish and birds,there existed a kind of fish-worship (reproduction-worship) dance in Yangshao Culture,before the bird-worship (sun-worship) dance in Majiayao Culture,so that the former is a worship dance for reproduction of Yangshao people. The dancing as depicted in the painted pottery is a cultural memory of Chinese nation and the connotation of wishing struggle for living paved ways of some tradition of the Chinese nation.