A Study On The Characteristics And Formation Process Of Samryeonchan In Bones And Tortoise Carapaces
January 1, 2018 - Bok, Park Jae
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EmailJournal or Book Title: Historical Studies of Ancient and Medieval China
Volume/Issue: 47
Year Published: 2018
Samryeonchan is a unique way of divination whose set consists of three Chans connected horizontally. Based on the literature and archeological artifact materials from the middle and late period of Western Zhou to the Spring and Autumn Period, this study found the following characteristics regarding the divination content of the Samryeonchan method: First, the content about divination with bones and tortoise carapaces was not more than the content about divination with Sicho in the literature. The literature covering the middle and late period of Western Zhou reflected its chaotic political situations those days including Youwang, Liwang, administration of the major criminal cases, and forced labor. There was content saying that not only feudal lords but also Gongyeongdaebu, women, and children had their fortune told during the Spring and Autumn Period. Secondly, there were 20 Samryeonchans excavated at seven relics. They were categorized into two types based on the dating investigation of the articles representing the relics where they were found. Type (1)A was characterized by the coexistence of Samryeonchan and the circular Chan. It was usually found in Jongju and Seongju and dated back to the middle and late period of Western Zhou. Type (2)B consisted only Samryeonchan. It was mainly found in Shandong and Kiangsu and dated back to the end of Western Zhou and the Spring and Autumn Period. It was further divided into two forms including B-1 in the primitive form and B-2 in the refined form. Finally, the A-type Samryeonchan is estimated to be closely related to the migrants of Shang, and the B-type one is estimated to be spread from the Shandong in the process of population rearrangement according to the enfeoffment of the feudal lords in Western Zhou.
DOI: 10.15840/amch.2018..47.001
Type of Publication: research-article
