Abstract
This chapter presents an evaluation of Zhou ritual from the standpoint of modern archaeological evidence and excavated texts. While there is some continuity with the definition of Zhou ritual in transmitted texts, the differences with and gaps in the transmitted records are striking. The chapter explores rites and mortuary practices in detail, and it presents several examples of Western Zhou bronze inscriptions related to ancient rituals and practices for conferring political power and for ancestor worship. The chapter analyzes several inscriptions providing examples of early ceremonies and also discusses the sixty-day ritual calendar that governed ritual life during this period. The use of ritual to preserve the past led to the rise of literature and history in ancient China.
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