Zhengzhou, 17 Dec (Xinhua) -- Next to the trench, tombs are arranged in a regular manner, and copper dings, bronze lords, copper ge, and copper mounds have been excavated one after another... The reporter learned from the Anyang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology on the 16th that the Taojiaying site, which is 7.2 kilometers away from the site of the Yin Ruins Palace in Anyang, is speculated to be an important satellite city in the same period in the north of Huanbei Shangcheng because of its large scope, dense distribution of relics and rich cultural connotations.
Rescue archaeological excavations at the Taojiaying site began in April 2021. Exploration found that the taojiaying site is rectangular in plan, about 560 meters from east to west, about 330 meters from north to south, and has a total area of about 185,000 square meters. Judging from the stratigraphic relationship and the shape of the excavated artifacts, the site was contemporaneous with the capital Huanbei Shangcheng in the middle of the Shang Dynasty.
Pottery excavated from the Taojiaying site (imposition photo). Courtesy of Anyang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology
At present, archaeologists have cleaned up 27 tombs in the middle of the Shang Dynasty, and unearthed 172 pieces of various artifacts, including more than 70 bronzes, including ceremonial tools, weapons, tools, etc.
"These bronzes are exquisitely shaped and distinctive, and it can be seen that they have a mutual influence with the culture of the northern grasslands and Shandong and other places in the same period, which greatly enriches and perfects the missing links of bronze culture between the early and late Shang Dynasties." Kong Deming, director of the Anyang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, said.
In addition to bronzes, the Taojiaying site has also unearthed a large number of pottery, jade tools, turquoise, bone tools, mussels and so on.
It is worth mentioning that in the eastern part of the site, archaeologists found a ring trench about 330 meters long from north to south and about 300 meters wide from east to west, indicating that the site is defensive.
Of the 27 tombs excavated in the middle of the Shang Dynasty, except for 2 small sacrificial pits, the rest are located on the northwest side of the south trench, and are distributed in two rows from north to south and in rows from east to west, which is very regular.
Artifacts excavated from the Taojiaying site (imposition photo). Courtesy of Anyang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology
To the north of the burial area, there is a production and living area, and the remains of pottery kilns, rammed earth foundation sites, wells, ash pits and so on have been found.
"There are clear functional partitions within the Taojiaying site, which highlights its planning characteristics and indicates that this is a high-specification settlement site." Kong Weipeng, head of the archaeological site at the Taojiaying site, said.
"The discovery of the site further enriches and perfects the cultural sequence of the early, middle and late Shang Dynasties, and has important archaeological value." Kong Deming said.
From the ruins of Yin Ruins and Huanbei Shangcheng, to the copper casting sites of the late Xindian Shang Dynasty, and then to the newly discovered Taojiaying sites, with the continuous advancement of archaeological work, the scope of the "Dayi Shang" recorded in the oracle bones has been expanding, and the appearance has become clearer.