Page 68 - Lungshan Pottery Lunshanoid Research 1977 Paper

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The second question i s also very important but fairly

difficult to answer. Have the different clusters anything

to do with different ethnic groups and their associated

languages? In other words, were the different clusters

produced by discrete groups of people speaking different

languages? The answer to this question might shed light

on the meaning of the clusters presented here. In view

of the different dialects spoken in this area today, i t

is easy to accept the idea that many languages were present

during the Lungshanoid horizon. Consequently, i t quite

possible that the different clusters may represent people

speaking different languages. Sometimes i n one cluster

even more than one language may have been used. In ancient

Chinese history, especially during the Spring and Autumn

Annals and Warring States Periods, the cultures of Wu,
Yueh and Ch»u have for a long time been noted as distinctive

from the Chting-yuan cultures. It is very probable that
cluster I was related to the ancestors of the Ch'u people.

According to the research done by Prof. Wen Chung-i (1967»

1-21, 1 6 7 ) , most of the Ch u people were indigenous, except
f
for some of the ruling class who immigrated from north

China. Prof. Wen considers these to be a branch of the

"Southern People", perhaps one of the "Indonesian" groups

1