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Studies in the History of Natural Sciences  2020, Vol. 39 Issue (4): 453-466    DOI:
ARTICLES     
The Structure and Role of the Trace (Yin )Harness Component of the Bronze Chariots and Horses in the Qin Shihuang Mausoleum
ZHOU Moxuan
Institute for the History of Natural Sciences, CAS, Beijing 100190, China;
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049,China
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Abstract  The bronze chariots and horses unearthed from the Qin Shihuang Mausoleum have dispelled much of the vague uncertainties surrounding our understanding of the harness in early China. Among them, the discovery of the trace (yin靷)has allowed people know more about its function, and triggered a discussion about the “yoke-and-trace traction system”. This paper analyzes the role of various parts of the trace in the bronze chariots from a mechanical perspective. The author thinks that its main function was bearing, balance, vibration attenuation and the avoidance of the pole being pulled out, etc., making it an important driving component for drag chariots, and clarifies whether the yoke-and-trace traction system can form a kind of harness system alone. The structural design of the trace and its accessories reflects the wisdom of ancient craftsmen, and is an important technical creation for the use of animal power in ancient China.

Key words： trace      the bronze chariots and horses of the Qin Shihuang Mausoleum      yoke-and-trace traction system     
Received: 03 December 2019      Published: 17 June 2021
ZTFLH:  N092  
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ZHOU Moxuan. The Structure and Role of the Trace (Yin )Harness Component of the Bronze Chariots and Horses in the Qin Shihuang Mausoleum. Studies in the History of Natural Sciences, 2020, 39(4): 453-466.

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http://www.shns.ac.cn/     OR     http://www.shns.ac.cn/Y2020/V39/I4/453

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