裘衞諸器考 : 西周期土地所有形態に關する私見

Abstract

Through investigating the inscriptions on four vessels by Ch'iu Wei inclued among inscriptions on the copper vessels discovered at the Tung chia village 董家 of the Ch'i-shan district 岐山, Shen si 陝西 in February 1975, the following conclusions were drawn. (1) In the Kung Wang 共王 period of the Western Chou 西周, a new social structure appeared due to the cessation of the outward expansion of the Western Chou Dynasty which had been taking place up to this time. From among the lower class aristocracy there appeared those who rose in status. (2) In place of the "manorial lord" type of land ownership common up to this time, there appeared a type of land ownership in which a "landlord" carried out the management of the land on a small scale. (3) Due to the limitations imposed by the historical materials, the actual conditions of such small scale management are unclear ； however. it can be seen not only in farm lands but in forest areas as well. (4) The above results make a re-investigation of the productive structure of the Western Chou period necessary. Considering the above results, it can be said that this group of inscriptions by Ch'iu Wei will hold an extremely important place in the study of Western Chou history from now on.