A Review of Unearthed Musical Instruments Chimes of Warring States Period

The unearthed musical instruments chimes of Warring States period are large in amount and kept quite well. They have been found successively in Henan, Hebei, Hubei, Hunan, Shandong and Shanghai. These chimes include three kinds: Bo Bells, Yong Bells and Niu Bells. From their materials, they are made of either bronze, or pottery, or wood. And their diversified forms show the various cultural features. Most of them are the practical instruments. And a small number of them were buried together with the dead. But the hanging Bo, Yong and Niu bells still have the cultural forms of two Zhou Dy- nasties. Particularly, the hanging system of Yong and Niu bells played a role of connecting the link between the preceding and the following from pre-Qin time to two Han Dynasties. They have offered the precious material objects for the study of the cur- rent social system of rites and music and hanging musical instruments.