Human sacrifice in ancient Chinese culture

Human sacrifice was a significant part of ancient Chinese culture, especially during the Shang dynasty. Unlike many of the notorious Mesoamerican rituals, such as the Aztec nextlahualli, Chinese sacrificial rituals were often carried out simply as spectacles for those high in power and influence. Chinese historian Dr. Keren Wang states that "[T]he Shang king would demonstrate to the supreme deity of their devoutness through the specular spilling of sacrificial human blood".^[1] The propaganda used to justify these rituals can be captured in a single phrase, one that could be found in places of religion and politics in ancient China, "The great national concerns are sacrifice and war". Chinese historian Xinxu Liu calls this phrase a "[S]tatus symbol for rulers".^[2]

It is uncertain when exactly human sacrificial rituals began taking place in China, but they definitely occurred during the Shang dynasty, which lasted from approximately 1600 BC to 1046 BC and is the first verified Chinese dynasty.^[3]

The claim regarding sacrifices in the Shang dynasty is corroborated by many tomb findings, including the people in Tomb No. 1 in Su-fü t'un, in the province of Shandong, who were placed to have their heads turned towards the coffin chamber. A similar arrangement of civilian bodies has been reported in Tomb No. 1001 in Hsi Pei Kang, in the Anyang region. It has also been noted that six skeletons in a Ch'iu-wan burial have been identified in terms of age and sex, to which it was discovered that several victims were children, and none were elderly.^[4]

When the Shang dynasty was violently overthrown by the Zhou dynasty in 1046 BC, many of the traditions and customs from the previous dynasty persevered, despite attempts of erasure. The poem "Huang Niao", or "Yellow Bird", was created to protest human sacrifice, presumed to be created by civilians.^[5]

It is debatable whether or not the sacrificial rituals were ever strictly made illegal. Some sources suggest that the Zhou rulers strongly condemned these practices, but other evidence points towards rulers such as Duke Xian of Qin having people killed for religious ceremonies.^[6] There exist many debate threads, especially on online platforms such as Reddit, on what truly counts as a human sacrifice, and if the Zhou rulers could have possibly been exploiting loopholes to justify what they knew was morally wrong.^[7]

The Chinese Bronze Age was a time period which yielded a large, lasting impact on Chinese culture.^[1][8] A great number of pieces of ancient Chinese bronzeware have been unearthed, and a large number of these artifacts are vessels. Ancient Chinese bronzes are celebrated for their artistic value and the casting technology used to make them.^[2]

An example of an ancient Chinese bronze used for sacrificial purposes is the Houmuwu ding. The vessel has taotie markings along its rectangular body.^[2]

• Houmuwu ding
• Shang dynasty
• Bronze Age
• Human sacrifice