Archaeological Research for Supply and Demand of Cowry Shells in Ancient China

在中国古代，菊科贝壳被用作威望或金钱。在黄河流域公元前2300年至公元前400年的考古遗址中发现了大量的贝类，但贝类大多生活在远离黄河流域的热带和温带地区。本研究旨在调查琉球贝壳的来源地，了解琉球贝壳的传播路径和传播区域，并在此基础上探讨中国与琉球群岛之间的关系。4年来，我们对32个遗址183个墓葬和仪式遗存的21993个贝壳进行了调查，并对每个标本进行了统一的样式记录。以下是我们的研究结果：在中国北方黄河流域发现的贝壳由2纲18科67种组成，其中90%以上为贝类。2 .在清朝都城安阳发现的11142枚贝壳中，76%生活在今天的台湾、南海和琉球群岛，18%生活在南海和东海。根据安阳的贝壳组成，很难注意到许多贝壳来自印度洋。4 .沿黄河流域的贝壳很有可能是在中国东南沿海的台湾地区采集的。山东半岛有一安阳型遗址，也有大量的贝壳。根据一些考古证据，山东半岛的人们很可能在将贝壳从南方带到西方的过程中发挥了重要作用。就在中国安阳和北方盛行咖喱的时候，中国玉石产业在台湾和琉球出现了。人们可能会去台湾和琉球寻找更多的咖喱。

Cowry shells, Family Cypraeidae, are used as prestige or money in ancient China. A great number of cowry shells are found in the archaeological sites which belong to the age of 2300BC to 400BC along Yellow river valley, although cowry shells mostly live in the tropical and the Temperate zone, far from Yellow river area.The purpose of this study is to investigate from where cowry shells came, and understand the route and area trough which the shells were brought, and based on these results discuss the relation between China and the Ryukyu archipelago where many cowry shells subsist.In these four years we surveyed 21993 shells from 183 tombs and ritual remains of 32sites, and made unified style records for every specimen. Following are our results :1.The shells found in north China along Yellow river valley composed from 67speaseas of 18 families of 2classes, and above 90% of them are cowries.2.In 11142shells found in An-yang, the capital city of In dynasty, 76%shells inhabit in present Taiwan, South China Sea and Ryukyu archipelago, 18% live in South China Sea and East China Sea.3.Depending on the composition of the shells in An-yang, it is hard to notice that many shells are from Indian Ocean.4.It is very possible that cowry shells along Yellow river valley were gathered at the coast of the south-east China belonging Taiwan.5.In Shandong peninsula there is an An-yang type site which also has a large number of cowry shells. Based on some archaeological evidences it is very possible that the people in Shandong peninsula played an important role in bringing shells from south to west, to An-yang.6.Just at the time when cowries are very popular in An-yang and north China, Chinese jade industry appeared in Taiwan and Ryukyu. It might be possible that people go to Taiwan and to Ryukyu for searching more cowries.