Aristocratic Lineage Structures in Western Zhou

Commonly known as the patriarchal family structure, the aristocratic society of the Western Zhou dynasty was composed of many families that originated from the royal house and the heirs of other early founders. With the increasing discovery of bronze inscriptions and cemeteries, some details have come to contradict what researchers previously understood about the principles governing aristocratic lineages and families. The naming conventions of sons—often referred to and distinguished by Bo, Zhong, Shu, and Ji—did not always correspond to their familial status. This talk will examine the practices of addressing fathers and ancestors in worship, as well as the patterns of lineage cemeteries, to explore the potential variations in lineage structures that supported the royal house and the political arena during the Western Zhou period, alongside its chronological transformations.