Research on the Eurasian Steppe Cultural Elements in the Animal Style Artistic Decoration of the Majiayuan Cemetery in Gansu

Research on the Eurasian Steppe Cultural Elements in the Animal Style Artistic Decoration of the Majiayuan Cemetery in Gansu

【背景】甘肃马家塬战国西戎贵族墓地出土了大量“动物风格”金属饰品，这些艺术饰品的图像风格具有浓厚的欧亚草原文化风格，对研究史前丝绸之路与古代东西文化交流有重要意义。 【目的】本研究旨在探讨马家塬墓葬中的动物风格的黄金饰品，重点分析其文化和艺术价值。通过对图像的研究，揭示史前欧亚大陆的文化交流与艺术融合。 【方法】研究采用图像分析和历史文献比对，对马家塬墓葬中动物风格装饰品进行分类和艺术风格分析，特别关注动物噬咬饰牌与车马装饰中的大角羊与单体猛兽，重点探讨它们的风格特征和文化价值。 【结果】结果显示，马家塬墓葬中的动物风格金属饰片中体现出独特的艺术造型与手法，这与斯基泰游牧文化尤其是巴泽雷克的影响密切相关。 【结论】研究表明，马家塬墓葬揭示了西戎人强烈地表现出与异域、异族文化碰撞交融而形成的早期游牧民族奢华、惊艳的艺术风格及兼容并蓄的文化特质，解释了中国北方地区在史前与欧亚草原游牧民族密切的文化交往。

[Background] A large number of “animal style” metal ornaments have been unearthed from the aristocratic cemetery of the Xirong in Majiayuan, Gansu Province. The imagery style of these artistic ornaments bears a strong influence of the Eurasian Steppe culture, holding significant importance for the study of the prehistoric Silk Road and ancient cultural exchanges between the East and West. [Objective] This study aims to explore the gold ornaments of animal style in the Majiayuan cemetery, focusing on analyzing their cultural and artistic value. Through the study of images, it seeks to reveal cultural exchanges and artistic integration across prehistoric Eurasia. [Method] The study employs image analysis and comparison with historical literature to classify and analyze the animal-style decorative items in the Majiayuan cemetery, particularly focusing on the depiction of large-horned sheep and solitary predators in animal bite plaques and chariot decorations, to explore their stylistic features and cultural value. [Results] The results indicate that the animal-style metal ornaments in the MajiayuanCemetery exhibit unique artistic forms and techniques, closely associated with the influence of Scythian nomadic culture, especially that of the Pazyryk culture. [Conclusion] The study demonstrates that the Majiayuan cemetery reveal an early nomadic luxurious and stunning artistic style and inclusive cultural traits, formed through the strong collision and integration with exotic cultures of the XiRong people. It explains the close cultural exchanges between the northern regions of China and Eurasian steppe nomadic peoples in prehistory.