Posted on 05/18/2004 8:09:10 PM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
Tomb from 11th century BC found... by accident
Wang Shanshan
2004-05-19 06:52
Chinese archaeologists accidentally discovered a cemetery that may include the oldest tomb ever discovered of the Western Zhou Dynasty (11th century to 771 BC).
This week's find in Qishan County, Northwest China's Shaanxi Province may shed light on the mystifying history of the dynasty.
The four centuries of its rule mark the basis for ancient China's political and cultural systems.
The traditional ritual and music systems that originated then prevailed until the 19th century, said Li Xueqin, a historian with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
To date, historians have mainly depended on documents rather than relics as no other large-sized tombs from the period are known except for a few that were raided and empty.
The discovered cemetery covers an area of more than 115 acres and includes about 10 tombs built into the side of the Fenghuang Mountain in Qishan County, near the city of Baoji in the province.
The tombs are aligned in the shape of a pyramid, with the biggest one at the top. The number of tombs increases on the lower levels.
Archaeologists from Peking University, Shaanxi provincial and Baoji municipal archaeological institutes are surveying the site.
They have allegedly discovered that the tomb at the top has four tunnels leading underground that lead into the tomb-room, said Zhu Fenghan, historian and director of the National Museum of China.
"A tomb with four paths was of an extremely high rank. The tomb of a Shang Dynasty (16th-11th century BC) king, unearthed in Central China's Henan Province, also had four tunnels," he added.
Li said the biggest tomb "very possibly belonged to a Zhou Dynasty king."
Li is leading a State-level research project on Chinese history before the Christian era.
He said Qishan County, where the cemetery was found, was the capital of the Western Zhou Dynasty while Fenghuang Mountain was considered by the royal family to be the spot where its rise to power began.
The Xi'an-based Shaanxi Daily reported finds of pieces of oracle bones and tortoise shells at the cemetery.
Th bones and shells were reportedly inscribed with writings bearing such meanings as "Wenwang" (King Wenwang) or "Zhougong Zhen" (Lord of the Zhou had his fortune told), the paper said.
If the top one is really a royal tomb and there are remains inside, it could get quite interesting.
It does sound like a potentially major find.
I'm interested to see more about the contents of the tomb. Interesting find!
bump
"It's only a model..........."
You bet. The oracle bones could be really interesting. They sometimes read like a gossip column.:>
A big shocker would be if they had red or blonde hair. What would the Chinese do?
A bigger shocker would be if they could dig a hole in China somewhere and NOT find a tomb.
Sheeeeesh. With all the billions and billions who have lived there for
millenia, there's gotta be bones everywhere no matter where you dig.
Bury it again and ignore it. That is one way.:) There has been a theory that Zhou ruling class were chariot-riding Caucasians(Aryans?) from Eurasian Steppe, just like Aryans in India and Persia, Hittites and Hiksos in Near East.
I'm reminded of this book I read.
Voyages Of The Pyramid Builders
"There has been a theory that Zhou ruling class were chariot-riding Caucasians(Aryans?) from Eurasian Steppe, just like Aryans in India and Persia, Hittites and Hiksos in Near East."
There were a lot more Caucasians in the area than most of us recognize. A quote from Stephen Oppenheimers Book, Eden In The East, "The micronesians go so far to say that the original inhabitants of the western homeland, the Men Of Matang' had red hair and blue eyes and may have gone to Samoa as well."
Islamic religion has influcenced China from time to time. There is a huge mosque in the middle of Xian, an anciet capital of China. There were probably many interactions between the people from MiddleEast and Asia. No doubt, there were many interracial marriages.
Islam did not exist until 7th century AD. This tomb complex is possibly 1,800 years older than Islam.
Islam did not exist until 7th century AD. This tomb complex is possibly 1,800 years older than Islam.
You are right. I must be had been reading about Muslims right before I made that post, because your post had nothing to do with Muslims.
However....
Christian Designs Found In Tomb Stones Of Eastern Han Dynasty
Ping.
Ping.
Thanks! I hadn't seen the thread in #18--very interesting.
Teh Han dynasty was around the time of Christ, correct? These could have been Nestorian
I was not claiming that Hyksos was Aryan. Just Caucasian.:)
I'll have some answers/comments this evening.
The Tocharian speakers were already there when the Iranians showed up. Incidently, the oldest paper ever found had Tocharian written on it.
I think the Han Dynasty began around 100BC...I may be wrong.
Someone call Bill Clinton. He once remarked that a female mummy turned him on...
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