A study of view of life and death and the underworld and their ideological and religious background in Ancient China by excaveted relics

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K00904
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 03030:History of Asia and Africa-related
• Research Institution: The Toyo Bunko
• Principal Investigator: Sekio Shiro 公益財団法人東洋文庫, 研究部, 研究員 (70179331)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 出土史料 / 中国古代 / 死生観・冥界観 / 磚画・壁画 / 鎮墓瓶銘 / 随葬衣物疏 / 柩銘 / 墓券

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study make clear views on life and death, and under world view of northwest regions especially the Wu-Xi(河西) area in ancient China, especially from the 3rd till 5th centuries. Clue of elucidation is funeral relics and manuscripts excavated from many tombs of this area. Specifically, brick pictures, murals, bottle inscriptions for requiem, coffin inscriptions for requiem, lists of funeral goods and so on. We collect information and data of these relics and manuscripts, and construct databases.
Using them, we can elucidate that different thoughts of afterlife coexisted in the same area, and various expression methods of thought also coexisted. And we can point out ideological and religious background of thought was not single, and lack of systematicity．

Free Research Field

アジア史およびアフリカ史関連（中国史）

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究によって構築，公開された各種の喪葬用文物に関する最新のデータベースは今後，歴史研究の分野に限らず，考古学，美術史，宗教史など諸分野の研究の深化に貢献するであろう．
また地域研究は，地域社会論と域圏論に大別できるが，本研究は，後者の視点に立ち，喪葬用文物の有無・分布・組合せなどを手がかりとして喪葬文化圏の措定を目ざしたものである．このような文化圏は本来的に，公権力が強制的に編成・設定する行政区画とは重複しない，より自生的な空間である．ただ本研究が主たる対象とした河西地域は，自然環境や歴史的経緯などから，文化圏が行政区画とも重なり合うといった側面もあった．