Xinzheng City: Sacrificial Sites of the Zheng State

Between 1993 and 1999, three sacrificial sites of the Zheng State were discovered in the eastern part of the Ancient Capital of Zheng and Han States in Xinzheng City, Henan Province. These sites yielded a significant number of bronze ritual vessels and musical instruments. Xinzheng City: Sacrificial Sites of the Zheng State is a comprehensive field archaeology report that not only provides a detailed account of the important features and artifacts unearthed but also delves into in-depth discussions on various academic issues related to the findings. Topics explored include the nature and dating of the sacrificial sites, the ritual and musical regulations used in the ceremonies, the identity of the officiants, the sacrificial offerings and animals used, the bell-hanging system in the rituals, the casting techniques of the bronze ritual and musical instruments, the iron casting and coin minting technologies of the Warring States period, and the cultural affiliations and chronology of the Eastern and Western Zhou periods. These studies have led to compelling and well-supported conclusions. Looking at the large-scale field excavation report, Xinzheng City: Sacrificial Sites of the Zheng State, we believe this book is quite distinctive. It is not only an academic monograph that studies the sacrificial sites of the Zheng State during the Spring and Autumn period, but it also delves into the Shang Dynasty's Erligang Culture and the cultures of the Eastern and Western Zhou periods, which are closely related to the sacrificial sites. It explores the national histories of the Shang Dynasty's Southern Zheng, the Western Zhou's Tai State, the Eastern Zhou's Zheng State, and the Han State. It also presents the cultures and civilizations of the Zheng and Han states, opening a new chapter in the archaeology of Chinese civilization.