Qilu Culture (Cradle of Eastern Thought)

Author: Compiler: Liu Zhenqing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1998-12-01
Features: The asterisk represents (Yi Qi); The asterisk represents (Wang An)
III. The Key to the Decline of Dongyi Culture – Yueshi Culture
Since the Dongyi culture was so splendid, its rise, decline, and reasons and role in integrating into the Central Plains culture have attracted much attention. This cannot be discussed without mentioning the Yueshi culture during the turning point. The distribution range of Yueshi culture is roughly the same as that of Longshan culture and should have developed on the basis of Longshan culture. Its age is about the same as the Xia Dynasty in the Central Plains. Longshan culture in Shandong was the most developed branch of culture at that time, but why did the early dynasties not establish themselves in the east, and why did its cultural level gradually fall behind that of the Xia culture in the Central Plains? According to historical records, Dongyi at that time was not a unified ethnic name but included numerous tribes such as Wuyi, Laiyi, Huaiyi, Doyi, Quanyi, Yuyi, Fangyi, Chiyi, Baiyi, Huangyi, Xuyi, and Fengyi. Although most of them were highly developed, they did not establish a unified government. The different characteristics of Longshan culture in different regions of Shandong reflect this historical fact. More importantly, during the Yueshi culture period, the Dongyi people in the east may have entered a phase of decline. The sites of Yueshi culture were far less than those of Longshan culture. From pottery and other relics, although they inherited some traditions of Longshan culture, highly skilled techniques like eggshell pottery were no longer attainable during this period. The reasons for the decline of Yueshi culture are variously speculated by scholars. Some believe that the development of bronze ware may have led to a shift in the focus of handicrafts, causing pottery techniques to decline. Others argue that the legendary Great Yu's flood control measures were not baseless; a major flood lasting several years indeed occurred over 4,000 years ago, with the lower reaches of the Yellow River suffering the most severe damage, leading to a decrease in population and cultural decline. Yueshi culture only began to recover slightly in its later stages. Some scholars attribute it to the destruction caused by wars. All these views await confirmation from new archaeological findings.
The Eastward Expansion of Central Plains Culture: Around the 16th century BC, the Shang people conquered Xia and established the Shang Dynasty. Compared to the Xia people, the Shang people, though also belonging to the Eastern ethnic group, were different from Dongyi. The history of Shandong during the Shang Dynasty was relatively complex. On one hand, the Shang Dynasty constantly launched campaigns against the east, with many records of "conquering Yi tribes" on oracle bones and bronze inscriptions. "Yi tribes" referred to the Dongyi. The Central Plains forces represented by the Shang people invaded Shandong around the middle period of the Shang Dynasty. Shang culture advanced from west to east, gradually extending from the western part of Shandong to the Jiaolai Plain in the central part. In these areas, the degree of influence from Shang culture was relatively high, forming a local culture that absorbed Shang elements. However, the Jiaodong Peninsula had not yet been affected by the expansion of Shang culture. Overall, in this struggle, the indigenous Dongyi gradually fell into a disadvantageous position. Throughout the Shang Dynasty, there were several small tribal states in Shandong, such as Bogu, Shangyan, Xue, and Lai, which were allies of the Shang. Some of them retained distinct local characteristics. Bronze artifacts with clan emblems discovered in these areas, such as the large bronze adze with a human face pattern of the Yachou clan, unearthed from tombs of high-ranking nobles outside the Shang kings' mausoleums, may have belonged to feudal lords or regional rulers. They are important material evidence for studying the tribal states in Shandong during the Shang Dynasty.
II. The Blurring of the Cultural Boundaries Between Yi and Xia
When Qi and Lu were first enfeoffed, there were numerous tribal states in Shandong, with Qi and Lu covering only "hundreds of miles each." However, after long-term expansion and exchange between the two states, Dongyi culture gradually merged into Huaxia.