The story of ancient people transmitting information

People in ancient society often used the body as a medium or carrier, and used specific forms of advertising communication such as body movements, vocal language, tattoos, decorations and dances to achieve their goals. Body or limb is the most primitive advertising media, and its media function has been preserved and continued in the long years of ancient China society. Body language commonly used in ancient society can be roughly divided into the following categories:

1. Imitation and sign language. Before using language, mimicry and sign language are the most practical and effective ways to convey specific information to the audience. For example, in the process of hunting, when a person meets a herd of bison, he immediately runs to the highland where people of the same tribe can see him, raises his body with both hands to cover his head, and then slowly puts it down and repeats it. This is a signal to mobilize all fallen members to hunt. Primitive hunters like to cooperate with each other in hunting. When hunters find animal tracks and need to hide, they exchange information with each other in sign language. Those gestures often show the most striking features of animals. Hands in the air, forefinger straight, saying that the beast he saw was a twisted wildebeest with a pair of big horns; The middle finger is bent and the other four fingers are extended. Everyone knows that this is the discovery of giraffes. When an ostrich is found, it will raise its arm obliquely to symbolize its long neck. Ethnological research has proved that this kind of mimicry and sign language existed everywhere in ancient society and were important carriers for primitive people to transmit information.

2. Body painting and tattoos. Painting the body with colors or graphics is called painting, which originated very early. The hercynite can be used as a pigment and is often found in late Paleolithic sites tens of thousands of years ago. Until modern times, many ethnic groups with ancient customs still like to draw pictures on themselves. During the Dragon Boat Festival in China, ethnic minorities in many areas are used to drawing realgar or symbols on their heads and wrists. Dyeing their teeth black can be said to be a kind of painting decoration. It is recorded in ancient books that there is a "black pool country" in the southeast of China: "To the east of Japan, there are 4,000 naked countries. There is a black pool in the southeast of the naked country, which can be reached by boat for one year. " Dai, Jinuo, Bulang and other ethnic groups in Yunnan, China, usually like to chew betel nut and lime. Long-term chewing can also make their teeth black.

The decoration tattooed on human skin is called tattoo, and this custom originated very early. According to ancient records, the people of Wu, Yue and Chu in the south of the Yangtze River in ancient China worshipped the dragon totem: "Tattoos depict their bodies in the shape of dragons. When they enter the water, dragons can't hurt them. " Most ethnic groups in China, including the Han nationality, have the custom of tattooing in ancient or modern times. Li women started tattooing at the age of 12 to 16. If you have a lover, you must tattoo a special mark on your hand, which is often given by your lover himself. In China, the Jinuo, Bulang and Dulong nationalities in Yunnan, and the Gaoshan compatriots in Taiwan Province Province also have the custom of tattooing. ..... (abridged) Because tattoos have a strong recognition function in the communication between clans and tribes in primitive society and in the group activities of primitive people, they also convey specific information in the process of communication, struggle and intermarriage between different groups. With the migration and activities of primitive groups, they also play a role in a wider range of land, so they can also be regarded as an original advertising medium that can convey life and social information.

3. Human body accessories. Adding decorations to the human body can be traced back to the late Paleolithic period. Rich decorations were found in the Neanderthal site in Zhoukoudian, China. There are hollow animal teeth, hollow mussel shells, drilled stone beads, drilled pebbles, drilled fish bones and slotted bone tubes. They are strung together with belts and worn on their bodies. There are many kinds of human body ornaments, which can be divided into hair ornaments, headdresses, ear ornaments, nose ornaments, lip ornaments, neck ornaments and foot ornaments. The collocation of human body accessories is closely related to people's hairstyles and hairstyles of different times. Ethnic minorities in the southwest of China usually tie their hair in a vertebral shape, or tie it in front of or behind their foreheads, and they are often full of flowers on holidays. Hairstyles of Yao women in Guangxi vary from place to place. They have two pieces of bamboo arrows on their heads, about two feet long. Hair is divided into two strands, tied around the arrow, covered with a scarf, shaped like butterfly wings. Others put on bamboo hoops, the ends of which are tilted upward, shaped like horns, and then tied tightly with beads and silk floss. In some places in eastern Zhejiang, the headdresses of She women are made of bamboo tubes, about three feet long, covered with safflower and inlaid with silver edges. Nail a silver medal on the front and back of the bamboo tube and hang white beads. According to different ornaments, we can judge the living habits and characteristics of different nationalities, and through the combination of different ornaments, we can convey specific ideological or cultural information. Here, human ornaments not only reflect the joys and sorrows of primitive people, but also spread this kind of life and cultural information to every member of the ethnic group, even to neighboring or hostile clan groups. The original advertising communication function is also relatively strong, with obvious advertising "informing" function.

According to the above materials, it is not difficult for us to see that in the long years of primitive society and early civilization, different ethnic groups in vast areas, including China, used body language to transmit information for a long time, especially between a pair of people and a group of people to transmit specific information with the functions of "informing" and "recognizing". Body language has become the most primitive and important advertising media here.

Second, metonymy-the specific symbol of advertising information dissemination

Primitive people not only used body language to convey information, but also relied on natural objects in the real world to realize the transmission of advertising information. These natural objects, such as trees and rocks, are naturally generated or existed in nature, and the other is created by human beings, but they are not consciously used as advertising media, but borrowed in the process of transmitting information, such as pictures and ropes. This kind of metonymy can be divided into two situations, one is concrete metonymy and the other is life metonymy.

1. Specific metonymy

(1) Knot the rope. Knotting is a common method to convey original information. The custom of tying knots in ancient China is described in historical books. I ching said: "in ancient times, knots ruled, and later saints used them to write behaviors." A hundred officials rule, and the people keep it. " "Zhuangzi" contains: "The ancestors were allowed to become families ... I wish the Rong family, the Fu family and the Shennong family, and at that time, the people will use it." "History of the North" also mentioned: "Hunting is a profession, simplicity is a custom, simplicity is a change, not a speech, but a woodcarving knot." The knotting method is widely used in the ancient history of China with a long history. When recording the date of appointment, Gaoshan people in Taiwan Province Province tie several knots according to the number of days and untie one knot every night. The Barrow people in Tibet cut a knot with a knife every other day until the last knot is cut, which means it is due, and when the knot is untied, it means the date of appointment. When Yunnan Dulong people travel alone, they often tie a hemp rope around their waist and tie a knot every day to record the number of days they leave. When Yao people have disputes, they often get a verdict in front of the leaders. The method is that both sides of the dispute hold a rope, and whoever speaks a truth will tie a knot until the end, and the party with more knots will win the case. In class society, the tradition of knots has also been inherited by businessmen and changed in shape and use. In the stalls of shops, hotels, teahouses and merchants, all kinds of covers or signboards are often decorated with all kinds of decorative pieces, strung together with ropes, embroidered with sapphires, colorful striped fabrics, all kinds of beads or rows of ears. There are also many unique covers, which are woven with thick hemp ropes. Here, the knot has become a new medium to convey advertising information.

(2) Wood carving. Wood carving is another symbolic language. Historical books also record the historical facts of woodcarving in various parts of China. For example, in the Book of the Later Han Dynasty, "When an adult calls, the woodcarving will be believed." Although there is no text, I dare not violate it. "A Answer from Outside the Ridge" also said: "Yao people have no words, and they are carved with two boards of wood. People hold one and leave one. " "Yunnan Tengyue State Records" also mentioned: "Yi people have customs, and all loans are on credit, and all financial terms are agreed. I don't know how to write, but I only use woodcut as a symbol, each holding half of the other party, as promised. "

In the process of commodity production and exchange, the custom of carving wood for commemoration evolved into the inscription of officials or the mark of celebrity goods, that is, the names of officials or celebrities were stamped on the goods sold. If we go back further, woodcarving can even be regarded as the source of commodity trademarks and logo advertisements.

(3) Display smoke. It was recorded in China during the Spring and Autumn Period that military warnings were transmitted by fire and smoke. After Qin Shihuang, a beacon tower was built every ten miles on the Great Wall of Wan Li, using dried wolf dung as fuel. After ignition, the flame and smoke soar, which may spread the emergency alarm to a long distance. The ancient poem "The sunset in Pingsha is red in the west of the desert, and the stars on the dragon are high and low; The phrase "watching bonfires in several places in the lonely mountain, strong men waiting to beat drums" is a true portrayal of the application of this original information transmission method. This medium was also used in the business activities of businessmen in ancient society. For example, there are records of night teams and caravans "lighting fires for the number" in different periods.

(4) drums. The original way of information transmission has both visual and auditory effects. The information transmission acting on hearing is mainly carried out by means of audio communication tools, among which signal drum is the most common. In China, the Jino cowhide wooden drum is also hollowed out at both ends of a thick tree, tied with a furry cowhide, hung on the tree and struck with a mallet. Every new year's day, men, women and children will get together to sing and dance.

(5) the number of bamboos. The Nu people in our country used bamboo trumpets to spread information during the funeral, and played bamboo trumpets with different numbers to inform the whole village of the funeral. The number of bamboo trumpets increases or decreases according to the identity of the deceased: unmarried deceased plays one bamboo trumpet, married people play two, and old people and leaders play five or six. Tribal members immediately rushed to the home of the deceased and sent eggs to mourn. Entering the class society, with the differentiation of businessmen, businessmen walked the streets and created a variety of information dissemination tools such as blowing, pulling and hitting. For example, merchants in the Han Dynasty recorded that they played flutes and sold sweets.

(6) Audio equipment. The pottery chimes and urns unearthed from Miaodigou site in Neolithic age in China, as well as the three-hole urn in Jiangzhai site, all have the function of music sound. After entering the class society, with the development of commodity production and commodity exchange, the forms of audio advertisements are becoming more and more colorful. Various utensils in daily life may become the media of audio advertising, such as bowls, lamps and pots closely related to daily life, and flutes, pianos, harps, drums and gongs related to entertainment have also become the tools for advertising information transmission. Many businessmen have also specially made vocal instruments to show the characteristics of the industry for the needs of advertising, such as a vendor's rattle, a barber's tweezers fork, and a copper bell for a knife sharpener.

The widespread use of specific metonymy shows that the ways and means of advertising communication have changed greatly. With the frequent communication activities and the progress of communication technology, people borrow all available tools or objects to deliver advertising information more effectively and pertinently. The richness of media forms makes human advertisements spread in a wider area, conveying richer ideological, cultural and commercial information.

2. Metonymy of life

(1) draft standard. Also known as dirt. This is a naturally growing thing, but when it is inserted into the items for sale or sale, it has the meaning of recognition. Mustard was used in different historical periods of ancient China society, from daily necessities to poor families who sold their children because of hunger and cold. Cao Biao has been mentioned many times in Water Margin, the most famous one is about Yang Zhi selling knives: "Yang Zhi bought a treasure knife that day, inserted a Cao Biao and sold it on the market." The grass sign here has the function of advertising media.

(2) ears of wheat, hedges and wicker. It often appears in front of food stores in rural areas and can be hung on the door or fence at will, which not only plays the role of logo, but also shows the simplicity and hospitality of the store. Small hedges and wickers can immediately close the distance between shops and customers, merchants and passers-by, and are also advertising media with low production cost but excellent communication effect.

(3) gourd ladle and grass broom. Grass broom is also called "grass brush", "grass pole" and "broom pole" After the Song Dynasty, the market restriction was broken, and shops could be opened not only in residential areas, but also in markets and rural areas. Straw brooms, as advertising signs, often appear in restaurants and teahouses. There are many records about these things in the literature of the Song Dynasty. In Rong Zhai Xu, Song once mentioned: "Today's capital and county wine services, as well as all places where wine is preserved, are exposed, based on the number of blue and white cloth. Micro-people, with their height and size, may hang bottles, spoons and brooms in village shops. "

As an advertising logo, the grass broom has deeper allusions besides its particularity as an auxiliary tool for wine making. It mainly means "broom". Su Shi, a poet in the Song Dynasty, once said: "If you want to be famous, you can't seek promotion. You should call a poem hook and sweep the broom. "

The "sorrow broom" here has obviously become another name for wine. It means "drown your sorrows by drinking" and "get drunk and get rid of a thousand sorrows". Therefore, it is vivid and symbolic to use the grass broom as the hotel logo, which has a strong folk color.

In the ancient society of China, there were many life symbols, most of which were attached to the activities of shops and merchants, and the scope of use was basically within the scope of merchants' activities and the narrow sense of "market". Due to frequent use and consumption habits, they reflect the emotions and aesthetic tastes of ordinary people, and also reflect the collective wisdom of media users or businesses. However, the widespread use of this kind of advertising media also reflects the limitations of people's development and utilization of advertising media at a low productivity level.

Handmade advertising media-the industry symbol of advertising information dissemination

In the long development process of ancient society, in the process of adapting to and transforming nature, human self-awareness and self-awareness have been continuously enhanced. It has become a conscious action to creatively spread spiritual and cultural information and create social material and cultural wealth. The development and application of advertising media reflect this fact. Ancient working people created a wide variety of advertising media with different styles, and the influence of advertising communication was even greater, which became an important part of social development and people's lives.

1. Store advertising media

Shop advertising media is the main form of advertising media in ancient China. Including restaurants, restaurants, teahouses, pawn shops, hotel facades and surrounding environment, specifically divided into several most common situations.

(1) cover. Cover is one of the most mature forms of advertising media in ancient China. Cover often gives people a strong visual impact with vivid and intuitive modeling, bright colors and unique folk customs. In terms of composition, the cover consists of a rod, a frame, a pick, a cover, a body, a seat and a pendant. Physically, there are round, square, triangle, diamond and irregular shapes; Judging from the content of communication, all information related to enterprise management or commodity services may appear in the form of cover; From the production materials, there are cloth, silk, satin, cotton, copper, iron, wood and other materials, and many covers are made of a variety of materials; From the form of expression, it can be divided into objects, models, symbols and specific signs.

(2) signboards. The appearance of signboard media is also closely related to shops. Signboards often appear in front of the facade or door, and are set by hanging, inlaying and masonry. As an advertising media, signboards convey rich information. Specifically, the first is to write the name of the store, such as "Laobaotai" and "Jinyang Fishing" in the dim sum shop; The second is to convey the business philosophy and characteristics of the business, such as "fair trade" and "childlike innocence" written on the signboard; The third is to reflect the sacrifice of the industry and the scope of services, such as "knowing the taste and stopping, smelling the fragrance and dismounting." As the media of ancient advertising information, signboards can be divided into different banners, vertical signs, listing signs and flying signs outside the store from their hanging positions.

(3) hey. As a medium of advertising information dissemination, it has its particularity. It turned out to be an earthen table for warming wine in front of the hotel. In order to take care of warm wine, there is often a woman with a good face sitting next to her. On the one hand, it is to take care of the guests, on the other hand, it is also to attract customers. In the Han Dynasty, it became a custom for women to be wives. Historical Records once said: "It's like setting up a wine shop to sell wine and treating Wen Jun as a fool." (Biography of Sima Xiangru) In the early Han Dynasty, the government allowed people to sell alcohol and spirits, so there were many wine stalls in front of the hotel. Become the symbol of the hotel.

(4) Colorful buildings and happy doors. In the Song Dynasty, with the opening and banning of the market, large shops with wide facades appeared, which made it possible for colorful buildings and music doors to appear. Colored building refers to the facade decoration of the shop, such as the door decoration of Sundian in Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival, which is a kind of colored building. Colorful buildings are specially designed according to the preferences of the store, which are relatively fixed and unique. Huanmen advertisement refers to the temporary facade decoration built by shop operators and merchants during festivals or important events. It is usually decorated with colored paper and silk. Because of its strong purpose and obvious logo function, it is also regarded as one of the ancient advertising media. In the Song Dynasty, it gradually became fashionable to build colorful buildings and happy doors at the door. "Tokyo Dream China" once said: "All the doors of Shi Jing Hotel are tied with colorful buildings and happy doors." (restaurant)

(5) lanterns. As an advertising media, lanterns began in the Five Dynasties. Nai Deong once wrote in Jingshi Jisheng: "Things in restaurants, such as red curtain doors and golden red gauze gardenia lamps, have been popular since Guo Gaozu visited Bianjing Panlou in the Five Dynasties." (restaurant)

1. Specific metonymy

(1) Knot the rope. Knotting is a common method to convey original information. The custom of tying knots in ancient China is described in historical books. I ching said: "in ancient times, knots ruled, and later saints used them to write behaviors." A hundred officials rule, and the people keep it. " "Zhuangzi" contains: "The ancestors were allowed to become families ... I wish the Rong family, the Fu family and the Shennong family, and at that time, the people will use it." "History of the North" also mentioned: "Hunting is a profession, simplicity is a custom, simplicity is a change, not a speech, but a woodcarving knot." The knotting method is widely used in the ancient history of China with a long history. When recording the date of appointment, Gaoshan people in Taiwan Province Province tie several knots according to the number of days and untie one knot every night. The Barrow people in Tibet cut a knot with a knife every other day until the last knot is cut, which means it is due, and when the knot is untied, it means the date of appointment. When Yunnan Dulong people travel alone, they often tie a hemp rope around their waist and tie a knot every day to record the number of days they leave. When Yao people have disputes, they often get a verdict in front of the leaders. The method is that both sides of the dispute hold a rope, and whoever speaks a truth will tie a knot until the end, and the party with more knots will win the case. In class society, the tradition of knots has also been inherited by businessmen and changed in shape and use. In the stalls of shops, hotels, teahouses and merchants, all kinds of covers or signboards are often decorated with all kinds of decorative pieces, strung together with ropes, embroidered with sapphires, colorful striped fabrics, all kinds of beads or rows of ears. There are also many unique covers, which are woven with thick hemp ropes. Here, the knot has become a new medium to convey advertising information.

(2) Wood carving. Wood carving is another symbolic language. Historical books also record the historical facts of woodcarving in various parts of China. For example, in the Book of the Later Han Dynasty, "When an adult calls, the woodcarving will be believed." Although there is no text, I dare not violate it. "A Answer from Outside the Ridge" also said: "Yao people have no words, and they are carved with two boards of wood. People hold one and leave one. " "Yunnan Tengyue State Records" also mentioned: "Yi people have customs, and all loans are on credit, and all financial terms are agreed. I don't know how to write, but I only use woodcut as a symbol, each holding half of the other party, as promised. "

In the process of commodity production and exchange, the custom of carving wood for commemoration evolved into the inscription of officials or the mark of celebrity goods, that is, the names of officials or celebrities were stamped on the goods sold. If we go back further, woodcarving can even be regarded as the source of commodity trademarks and logo advertisements.

(3) Display smoke. It was recorded in China during the Spring and Autumn Period that military warnings were transmitted by fire and smoke. After Qin Shihuang, a beacon tower was built every ten miles on the Great Wall of Wan Li, using dried wolf dung as fuel. After ignition, the flame and smoke soar, which may spread the emergency alarm to a long distance. The ancient poem "The sunset in Pingsha is red in the west of the desert, and the stars on the dragon are high and low; The phrase "watching bonfires in several places in the lonely mountain, strong men waiting to beat drums" is a true portrayal of the application of this original information transmission method. This medium was also used in the business activities of businessmen in ancient society. For example, there are records of night teams and caravans "lighting fires for the number" in different periods.

(4) drums. The original way of information transmission has both visual and auditory effects. The information transmission acting on hearing is mainly carried out by means of audio communication tools, among which signal drum is the most common. In China, the Jino cowhide wooden drum is also hollowed out at both ends of a thick tree, tied with a furry cowhide, hung on the tree and struck with a mallet. Every new year's day, men, women and children will get together to sing and dance.

(5) the number of bamboos. The Nu people in our country used bamboo trumpets to spread information during the funeral, and played bamboo trumpets with different numbers to inform the whole village of the funeral. The number of bamboo trumpets increases or decreases according to the identity of the deceased: unmarried deceased plays one bamboo trumpet, married people play two, and old people and leaders play five or six. Tribal members immediately rushed to the home of the deceased and sent eggs to mourn. Entering the class society, with the differentiation of businessmen, businessmen walked the streets and created a variety of information dissemination tools such as blowing, pulling and hitting. For example, merchants in the Han Dynasty recorded that they played flutes and sold sweets.

(6) Audio equipment. The pottery chimes and urns unearthed from Miaodigou site in Neolithic age in China, as well as the three-hole urn in Jiangzhai site, all have the function of music sound. After entering the class society, with the development of commodity production and commodity exchange, the forms of audio advertisements are becoming more and more colorful. Various utensils in daily life may become the media of audio advertising, such as bowls, lamps and pots closely related to daily life, and flutes, pianos, harps, drums and gongs related to entertainment have also become the tools for advertising information transmission. Many businessmen have also specially made vocal instruments to show the characteristics of the industry for the needs of advertising, such as a vendor's rattle, a barber's tweezers fork, and a copper bell for a knife sharpener.

The widespread use of specific metonymy shows that the ways and means of advertising communication have changed greatly. With the frequent communication activities and the progress of communication technology, people borrow all available tools or objects to deliver advertising information more effectively and pertinently. The richness of media forms makes human advertisements spread in a wider area, conveying richer ideological, cultural and commercial information.

Fire spreads military intelligence.

"Beacon" is a communication method used in ancient China to transmit frontier defense military information. It began in Shang and Zhou Dynasties and extended to Ming and Qing Dynasties. We have been learning from each other for thousands of years, especially in the Han Dynasty. At the height of the frontier defense military fortress or transportation hub, a high platform is built at regular intervals, commonly known as beacon tower, also known as beacon tower, trestle, smoke pier, etc. Garrison is waiting on the high platform. When the enemy invades, they burn firewood during the day to give an alarm by "burning smoke" and at night to give an alarm by "bonfire" (fire). When a person lights a bonfire, neighboring stations will catch fire one after another, and pass it on from station to station. In a very short time, in order to report the enemy's situation, he dispatched troops, requested reinforcements and defeated the enemy. In the history of our country, there is also a story of "Prince of Bonfire Play", who lit bonfires at will to please beautiful women and eventually led to national subjugation.

Haojiang, the capital of the Zhou Dynasty, was established after the demise of the Shang Dynasty, and was called the Western Zhou Dynasty in history. In the early days, in order to consolidate the state power, Zhou Wang successively enfeoffed his brothers, relatives and heroes to various places as vassals, established vassal states and established a whole set of systems. Agriculture, handicrafts and commerce have all developed to a certain extent.

Letters from Hongyan-Letters from afar

The story of The Legend of Hongyan comes from Hanshu? The story of "Su Wu herding sheep" in Biography of Su Wu. According to records, in the first year of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty (BC 100), Su Wu, the ambassador of the Han Dynasty, was detained by Shan Yu, the messenger of the Huns. He was brave and unyielding, and Khan exiled him to the no-man's land in Beihai (now Lake Baikal) to shepherd sheep. 19 years later, Emperor Zhao of the Han Dynasty succeeded to the throne, and the fierce Han Dynasty reconciled and married. The envoys of the Han Dynasty were ferocious and asked Su Wu to go back. Khan refused, but he couldn't say it, so he lied that Su Wu was dead. Later, Emperor Hanzhao sent envoys to the Huns, and Chang Hui, the detained deputy envoy who sent envoys to the Huns together with Su Wu, secretly met with the envoys of the Han Dynasty one night with the help of the jailer, told the envoys of the Han Dynasty about Su Wu, and came up with a plan for the envoys of the Han Dynasty to tell Khan: "When Emperor Hanzhao was hunting in Shanglinyuan, he killed a goose with a letter written on silk tied to his foot, which said that Su Wu was not dead. Han was very happy after hearing this, so he blamed Khan according to Chang Hui's words. Khan was surprised after hearing this, but he couldn't deny it, so he had to let Su Wu go back.