▲Blood Pool Ruins Che ma sacrifice pit - rectangular vertical pit deep pit.
In order to further understand the layout, connotation, age and attributes of the blood pool site, in 2018, the Shaanxi Archaeological Research Institute excavated 49 sacrificial pits located in the south of Zhongshan liang on the basis of summarizing the results of previous excavations, and at the same time carried out partial excavations of a road relic in Dongshanliang, excavating a total of 1,000 square meters, including 47 chema pits and 2 three-animal "sacrifice" sacrifice pits. In addition, 454 pieces (groups) of jade, bronze, iron, stone and bone tools were unearthed, mainly jade people, jade huang, jade chun, carriage and horse ware and some iron tools.
▲The "Three Animals" sacrifice pit at the site of the Blood Pool.
According to reports, the excavated chariot and horse sacrifice pits are mainly rectangular vertical pits, narrow long vertical pits and rectangular vertical cavern pits.
Researcher Sun Zhouyong, president of the Shaanxi Institute of Archaeology, said in the "2018 Shaanxi Field Archaeological Work Review" report, "The Qin and Han Sacrifices in the Yongshan Blood Pool are the first archaeologically identified Sites of the Qin and Han Dynasties, and also the earliest, largest, clearest and longest lasting 'Royal Heavenly Sacrifice Relics' of the era of archaeological discoveries so far!" ”
▲ Blood Pool Ruins Che ma sacrifice pit - rectangular vertical cave chamber pit.
"At the Wushan Sacrifice Site in Baoji City, about 48 kilometers away from the Yongcheng ruins, eight sacrificial pits in the middle terrace of the site were excavated last year, with a total excavation area of 800 square meters. Inside the sacrificial pit, there are four horses and one cart, and the horses are wearing bronze harnesses such as horsebits and horse darts, and they are in a state of carriage with the carriage behind them. In the pit, iron tools for agricultural tools and sacrificial jade people and jade for sacrifice were found. The discovery of the iron shovel suggests that the Wushan sacrifice site may be related to the sacrifice of Emperor Yan! ”
▲Blood Pool Ruins Carriage and Horse Sacrifice Pit.
At present, the archaeological survey of the blood pool and the surrounding sacrificial site area of 30 square kilometers, exploration of 1.616 million square meters, excavation of blood pool site 1,000 square meters. Once again won the highest award for field archaeology in China - "the first prize of field archaeology in 2016-2017"; a total of 106 relics units of various types were found at the Wushan Sacrifice Site, and the area of the confirmed site was 80,000 square meters. It can be basically confirmed that the site has the same connotation as the Fengxiang Blood Pool Qin han sacrifice site, and the age is slightly earlier than the Blood Pool.
The site of the blood pool may be the fixed place of worship set up by Liu Bang on the outskirts of Yongcheng, "Beiqi".
Qin and Han "Royal Sacrifice Rooftop" - Yongshan Blood Pool Qin han sacrifice site, located in Baoji City, Fengxiang County, northwest of Liulin Town Blood Pond Village, southeast of Qin Yongcheng Ruins 15 kilometers. The total area of the site is 4.7 million square meters, in 2016, after preliminary excavations, a total of more than 3,200 related relics such as various buildings, sites, roads, and sacrifice pits were confirmed, and 2,109 pieces (groups) of sacrificial artifacts were excavated in various sacrifice pits. Archaeologists have preliminarily judged that the site of the blood pool may be the highest level of the state established by Liu Bang, the ancestor of Han Gao in the early Western Han Dynasty, on the basis of the original "Qin Qi" on the outskirts of Yongcheng, and a fixed place dedicated to the worship of heaven and earth and the Black Emperor - Beiqi.
▲Excavation area of the Blood Pool Site.
According to the latest report, through large-scale investigation and exploration and selective excavation in the past three years, it has been determined that the blood pool site is currently in the Qin and Han Dynasties "Sacrifice Heaven" sites in China, which corresponds completely to the literature records, and is composed of complete "Yongpi" cultural remains composed of site selection and geomorphological relations, altar fields, sacrificial pits, buildings, roads, outer ring ditches and related facilities other than the main body. The excavated physical materials have important academic value for deepening the study of the Qin and Han ritual system, Qin and Han politics, and ancient Chinese ritual culture.
▲ Aerial view of the blood pool site (northwest-southeast).
▲ Aerial view of the blood pool site (overhead).
From the observation of a large number of building materials excavated from excavations, most of them are typical Western Han Dynasty building materials such as vertical and thick rope patterns on the outside, barrel tiles with inner wall cloth patterns, oblique thick rope patterns on the outside, plate tiles with plain surfaces, and paving tiles with back grain, and some building materials show the characteristics of the late Warring States period, which further clarifies the nature and age of the blood pool site. The excavated pottery texts such as "Shangqi", "Xiaci", and "Shang" provide reference and reference for the inheritance relationship between "Qin Siqi" and "Han Wuqi". The newly excavated road is 3.5-3.8 meters wide and is the main passage from the bottom of the mountain to the altar of the summit.
▲The expert group of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage inspected and guided the work at the excavation site of the blood pool site.
▲The expert group of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage excavated the site of the blood pool site.
It is understood that at the same time of excavation, the investigation and exploration work was carried out synchronously, the exploration task within the main body of the blood pool site was fully completed, and the connotation and attributes of each functional area within the overall layout of the site of 4.7 million square meters were clarified, which provided a detailed basis for the next step of the protection plan for the site. In addition, through the investigation and exploration of the area around the blood pool, as well as the discovery data on the southern slope of Lingshan Mountain and the "Tomb of the Kings", it provides a real-life reference other than the literature for the next step of exploring the "Wuyang Xiaqi" and the "Tongquan Fire" ceremony between the Yongqi sacrifice site and the capital.
The horses used for the sacrifice of the Blood Pool Ruins are all selected "young and weak horses"
"The latest archaeological findings at the Blood Pool site show that the Qin used a large number of horses during sacrifices, but in order to save resources and protect their combat readiness, these sacrificial horses were all young and weak horses that had been selected." Tian Yaqi, head of the archaeology project of the Blood Pool Site and researcher of the Qinhan Research Office of the Shaanxi Archaeological Research Institute, introduced that the sacrifice uses young weak horses, and it seems to consider preserving strong horses to meet practical needs, while using small ponies weak horses to meet the use of sacrifices is in line with the principle of the Qin people paying attention to practicality.
▲Blood Pool Ruins Sacrifice Animal Species.
▲Blood Pool Ruins, Beidoufang Sacrifice Animal Species.
▲Blood pool, Wushan ruins sacrifice animal species.
In recent years, laboratory archaeology has collected and analyzed the data of relevant DNA, dating, sex, age of mouth and coat color of horse, cattle and sheep animal specimens excavated at the site. The Book of History and Feng Zen records that the Yongqi sacrifice used "colts" and "calves", and a large number of horse bones excavated from archaeological excavations at the Blood Pool site for sacrifice were indeed tested to belong to juvenile horses between 6 and 9 months old.
Tian Yaqi said: "Scientific and technological archaeologists also did a series of studies from the connection between archaeological data and ancient documents, observed from the perspective of horse physical pathology, and the test results showed that these horses may really be young and weak horses deliberately selected after 'Soma'." The best time for soma is when the horses are 6 to 9 months old, which shows that the Qin people already knew how to sacrifice young horses that did not meet the standards of good horses, which could save the cost of breeding and preserve strong horses to meet the needs of combat readiness. The wisdom embodied in this choice is particularly in line with the Qin people's principle of focusing on practicality. ”
In addition, through the detection and analysis of animal strontium isotopes and feeding habits on horse bones, it was proved that the young and weak horses of these sacrifices were not of a bloodline and came from all directions, which also proved that the literature recorded that when the country held solemn sacrifices at that time, the scene of providing sacrifice materials from various places was provided. This new achievement provides a new perspective and important clues for the study of rituals and culture in the Qin Dynasty.
Another Wushan sacrifice site, which may be "Wuyang Xiaqi"
In the second half of 2018, the Shaanxi Provincial Archaeological Research Institute, the National Museum of China, the Baoji Archaeological Research Institute and other units excavated the Wushan Sacrifice Site, which is far away from the Fengxiang Blood Pool Site, and basically confirmed that the site has the same connotation as the Fengxiang Blood Pool Qinhan Sacrifice Site, and the age is slightly earlier than the Blood Pool.
▲Aerial photo of the excavation area of Wushan Ruins.
Up to now, it has been confirmed that the area of the site has reached 80,000 square meters, and the 8 sacrificial pits excavated have completely the same shape and system, all of which are approximately square carriage and horse sacrifice pits. Each pit is about 4.3 meters long, about 3.8-4.0 meters wide, and 0.3-2.8 meters deep. The pits are all four horses and one cart, and the horse bones are relatively intact. The horse wears bronze harnesses such as horsebits and darts, and is in a state of carriage with the carriage behind it. In the sacrificial pit, agricultural tools were found- iron hammers and high-grade artifacts such as male and female jade people and jade quinces for sacrifice, as well as bronze carriages, horse ornaments, horse pendants, horsebits, arrows and other carriage and horse tools used for supporting use.
▲ Unearthed jade people.
▲Wushan ruins sacrifice pit.
▲ A shovel excavated from the Wushan site.
▲ Jade man excavated from the Wushan site.
▲ Yu Chun excavated from the Wushan site.
The appearance of the shovel in the sacrificial pit indicates that it is no longer just a farm tool, but a sacrifice that belongs to the same thing as jade and carriages and horses. This has important reference value for judging the nature of the Wushan sacrifice site. Experts say the discovery of the shovel suggests that the Wushan sacrifice site may be related to the sacrifice of Emperor Yan.
Literature records that near Mount Wu, there were "Wuyang Shangpi" (吴阳上畤) that sacrificed the Yellow Emperor and "Wuyang Xiaqi" (吴阳下畤) that sacrificed Emperor Yan. The Yandi Emperor has been revered as the "God of Agriculture" since ancient times, and the shovel farm tools appear as special sacrifices in each sacrifice pit, and it can be inferred that the Wushan ruins may be "Wuyang Xiaqi".
During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the State of Qin flourished in the worship of the "Five Emperors", and built "Miqi", "鄜畤", "下畤" and "Shangqi" around the capital City of Yongcheng, calling it "Qin Yong Siqi". When Liu Bang, the ancestor of Han Gao, ascended the throne, on the basis of the Qin Yong Si Qi, he built the "BeiQi", which was called "Han Yong Wu Qi".
Archaeologists said that according to the characteristics of the archaeological excavations of the blood pool and Wushan sites, it not only provides clues for the search for the remaining three qi, expands the study of the Han Yong Wu Qi, but also has a clear understanding of the development of the Qin and Han national sacrifice rituals, and has important academic significance and epochal value for the study of the ancient and modern changes in the national sacrifice system, the integration of Chinese culture and the integration of heaven and man.
China's celestial culture is a historical and cultural phenomenon derived from the primitive religious consciousness of the ancient Chinese ancestors in nature worship, but it has been accompanied by the unremitting exploration and astronomical observation of the universe by our ancestors for thousands of years. The sacrifice culture of Chinese civilization highlights the concept of heaven, which is to sacrifice the earth and sacrifice people, and to pray for the harmonious coexistence of heaven, earth and people in the natural environment or ecosystem.
Wen: Han Hong, a reporter in Shaanxi, wen wei po
Photo: Courtesy of Shaanxi Archaeological Research Institute
Editor: Han Hong
Editor-in-Charge: Zhu Hui
Reprinted from: Wenhui Du, January 25, 2019