Mussel clam (蚌蛤, also known as '蜯蛤' in ancient times) refers to a combination of mussels and clams. The ancients often used the terms 'mussel' and 'clam' interchangeably. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, Xu Shen's Shuowen Jiezi (literally 'Discussing Writing and Explaining Characters') categorized 'clams' into three types: "sea clams", "muli" and "kui clams". These three major types represent the bivalve mollusks characterized by two symmetrical shells, which are the subjects of observation in this paper. From a historical point of view, this article divides into three periods: pre-Qin, Qin-Han, Wei-Jin, Southern-Northern Dynasties. It examines how the ancients' the physiological cognition, daily application, and spiritual perception of "clams" changed and developed in each historical stage before the Tang Dynasty. This provides the basic knowledge for investigating the cultural characteristics of "clam" in the Tang Dynasty and after, and shows the cultural value from natural history, marine culture, and marine literature perspectives.
先秦至南北朝「蚌蛤」文化發展初探 = A Preliminary Study on the Development of "Clam" Culture from the Pre
