Ho Tsz-Yan

• 2016, Bachelor’s Degree, Applied Foreign Languages (LEA) – French, English, Chinese, University of Lille

• 2018, Master’s Degree, Chinese – Literature and Civilization, University of Artois, with honors

• 2022, Bachelor’s Degree, History – Heritage and Archaeology, University of Artois, with honors

• 2023, Master’s Degree, History – Ancient History and Civilization, University of Artois

“From the Material to the Immaterial in the Culture of the Chariot in Ancient China: The Functions and Symbolic Values of the Chariot for the Living and the Dead, Based on Archaeological Remains from the Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BCE)”

Sous la direction de Olivier Venture

My thesis focuses on the chariot as an essential element of ancient Chinese culture. Numerous specimens have been unearthed by archaeologists since the early 20th century. However, it is important to note that this means of transport has mainly been found as a prestigious funerary object for the upper aristocracy. Nearly 250 chariot burials have been excavated in various regions of China. Based on the analysis of these remains, I aim to reconstruct the practices and traditions specific to human groups who had the privilege of being buried with chariots. The large number of chariot burials allows me to compare the respective practices of each region during the different periods of the Zhou dynasty. Once the funerary and sacrificial practices have been reconstructed, I can reflect on the reasons and origins of these practices, as well as the symbolic values attributed to the chariot. A typology of pits and burials is established in order to compare them. My attention also focuses on the bronze accessories of the chariot and horses. I also define the terminology of the remains studied, focusing on the chariots and horses on the one hand, and their accessories on the other.

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