The Sounds of the State: An Archaeological Study of the Bianzhong bells Excavated from the Zheng State Sacrificial Site in Xinzheng, Henan Province, China

Abstract

Zhenghan Gucheng (Zhenghan Ancient City) was the capital city of the Zheng and Han states for over 5 centuries throughout the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. It was during this time that the music of these states reached its zenith, with the so called “music of Zheng and Wei” becoming popularised in courts and households alike across China. In the years since bronze bianzhong (chime bells) were first discovered in the tomb of the duke of Zheng in 1923, more than 10 further batches of bianzhong, totaling over 300 pieces, have been excavated from Zhenghan Gucheng, contributing greatly to the study of Chinese musical archaeology. This article focuses on the 206 bronze bianzhong from 9 sets that were excavated from the Zheng state’s sacrificial pits between 1996 and 1998. Through considering examples from other sacrificial sites, such as Jincheng Road and the Urban Credit Co-operative, and through applying typological and archaeo-musical methods, this study systematically examines the morphology, tonal structures and arrangements of these bianzhong as well as the broader musical traditions they represent. The results show that the sets of bianzhong are all configured in a layout of four bo 镈 and twenty niu 钮, with a sonic range of over 3 octaves in a complete seven-note structure, a significant development from Western Zhou practice. This “bo+niu” arrangement became the standard in the Eastern Zhou yellow river basin, also significantly influencing the bells of Chu. The discovery of these sets of bianzhong provides vital physical evidence for the study of the long-lost “Sounds of Zheng” and further contributes to our understanding of the interactions and developments of regional musical cultures during the Spring and Autumn Period.