Abstract
The discovery of the No.1 tomb of the Spring and Autumn Period at Shuangdun village in Bengbu city, Anhui province has not only given us a large amount of physical material with which to investigate the history of the Zhongli state, more importantly, the unique form of the tomb completely evinces the rich connotations of ancient cosmology. This article consolidates archaeological materials and ancient texts in order to interpret the cultural implications of the tomb’s six-layer structure: the five-color earth mound on top of the tomb indicates the concept of yueling (the proceedings of the government in different months); the flat, circular layer resembling a jade disk demonstrates the “celestial dome” theory; radiating lines symbolize the constellations; semicircles molded out of clay represent the idea of xinglie (form and boundary); piles of circular cones manifest the concept of the eight poles of the Earth; and the ya-shaped (cross-shaped) tomb chamber indicates the advanced level of Chinese cosmology at the time the tomb was constructed. The distinctive structure of the tomb embodies the traditional religious notion of enshrining ancestors as foils to heaven. It also reveals the local characteristics of ancient culture in the Huai River region and had a deep influence on the formation of Zou Yan’s philosophy and the transmission of the cosmological views recorded in Huainanzi.
Keywords
Spring and Autumn period, tomb of Lord Bo of Zhongli, cosmology, Huai River region
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