冥币新考:以新疆吐鲁番考古资料为中心

本文以新获吐鲁番考古资料:巴达木墓地所出葫芦木刻冥币和木纳尔墓地所出纸钱文书为基础,与20世纪初斯坦因阿斯塔那收集品,新中国成立后在阿斯塔那、哈拉和卓古墓群的考古发掘成果,其他各地域出土的汉唐间冥币材料以及传统文献互相印证,着重于从冥币在墓葬中的实际保存状态、制作和使用方式、与墓葬整体遗存之间的相互关系进行分析,对其源流、形制、性质和功能进行了新的考索,尤其是对冥币在中古时代所发生的关键性演化做了较为深入的阐释,揭示了这一丧葬习俗的变迁过程及其丰富内涵.

The Transformation of Sacrificial Money in Medieval China:New Hypotheses Based on the Archaeological Discoveries in Turfan

The traditional idea holds that the development of sacrificial money can be divided into two phases,from the Warring States to Western Han when clay sacrificial money was used,and after Wei and Jin times when paper sacrificial money was used.But this was only a very general statement mainly based on written records.Since the early 20th century,a great many archaeological discoveries have occurred in North-western China.Hosts of unearthed ancient documents and cultural relics have provided us on which we can re-examine many old conclusions in an unprecedented manner and build a new structure of interpretation.The newly unearthed sacrificial money made of wood and paper in the tombs of Turfan may help us improve our knowledge and even repaint the history of sacrificial money,especially its actual function in religious practice and hopefully we can reach a better understanding of different meanings conveyed by different ways of use.