大汶口文化的骨牙“雕筒”

Bone and Ivory “Carved Cylinders” of Dawenkou Culture

大汶口文化的骨牙“雕筒”是大汶口文化中最具代表性的器物之一。然而对于它们的用途和功能却一直众说纷纭,尚无定论。本文通过对其形制以及它们在墓葬中安放的位置及与相关器物的关系之考察,确认不同形制的骨牙“雕筒”具有性质不同的用途和功能。其中A、B型“雕筒”可能是一种与宗教有关的器具,而C型“雕筒”应是套在斧钺(锛)类器物木柄尾端的饰件——即镦。不论是作为宗教器具还是礼仪用具(附件)的“雕筒”,显然都是当时社会中具有特殊身份的人们才能拥有的。环顾各地的发现,类似大汶口文化骨牙“雕筒”这种特殊随葬品的出现,当系社会发展到一定阶段的必然产物,从而得以管窥当时社会权力在时间和空间上的分布状况。

Bone and ivory 'carved cylinders' are one of the most representative artefacts of the Dawenkou neolithic culture, but there have many conflicting explanations of their use. Through a study of their shape and their placement and position in the graves in which they have been found, the author concludes that these objects had different functions in accordance with their different shapes. A and B type 'carved cylinders' possibly had a votive or religious function, while type C 'carved cylinders' were probably decorations on the handles of axes or battle-axes. Regardless of their use, these objects naturally also conformed with the social status of their owners. Objects similar to these Dawenkou 'carved cylinders' found as special burial objects in graves at Huangu and other places were the inevitable product of social development, and give us some insight into the spatio- tem[X)ral distribution of power at that time.