[Theories and Thoughts]

Title： National History and Its Transcendence： On the Feasibility of a Bifurcated National History…………/3

Author： Zhang Xupeng， Professor， Institute of Historical Theories， Chinese Academy of Social Sciences， Beijing，100101， China.

Abstract： The rise of national history in China， which began with the pursuit of the Chinese historians to create a nation-state in China， played an important role in shaping national identity， enhancing national consciousness and promoting national unity. However， because of its homogeneous and exclusive narrative of the nation-state， national history has neglected the histories of different ethnic groups within it. Under the influence of global history， in recent years， some historians attempted to re-conceptualize China from the perspectives of the neighboring areas and Inner Asia， seeking to break the rigid nationalist conception of history and write Chinese history presenting unity as well as diversity. As far as this is concerned， the frontier that involves more social mobility， internal and external factors， and the intertwined powers of the center and peripheries constitutes asubstantial subject in writing bifurcated national history.

Key words： national history; nation-state; frontier; bifurcated history

[Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations]

Title： The Royally Bestowed Seals and State Governance in Ur III Dynasty……………………………………/16

Authors： Chao Xueting， Lecturer， Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations， Northeast Normal University，Changchun， Jilin， 130024， China; Dong Xiaobo， Postdoctoral Fellow， Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations， Northeast Normal University， Changchun， Jilin， 130024， China.

Abstract： The royally bestowed seals of the Ur III Dynasty are the highest ranked seals of this period known at present. They were originally granted to cronies in small numbers as certificates of appointment to strengthen the local supervision during the reform of the Šulgi aiming at strengthening the royal power. During the period of Šu-Suen， the authority of the royally bestowed seals increased. Some holders could even represent the king to exercise the power similar to the imperial commissioners， including disposal of royal goods. By the time of Ibbi-Suen， with the decline of royal power and local control， the usage of royally bestowed seals were abused. A statistical study of the issue and use of the royally bestowed seals in the historical and cultural background of the Ur III Dynasty， may provide a new understanding of the political system of this period.

Key words： Ur III Dynasty; cylinder seal; royally bestowed Seals; divine kingship

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