Although we can now restore the general appearance of history through the data, because the era is relatively long from the present, many objects that have really appeared in history may seem very strange to us. During the excavation of a tomb in Anyang, we found a strange-looking artifact.
In 1976, a local highland in Anyang needed to be rebuilt, and before construction began, local archaeologists were invited to come and investigate beforehand to see if there were any cultural relics buried underneath. Experts with rich archaeological experience feel that the probability of cultural relics appearing in such ordinary highlands is not high, and they do not pay special attention. Because at first, through people's observation, it was just the traces left by ordinary houses when they built the foundation. But the experts, in a responsible spirit, drilled into the ground. Unexpectedly, an ancient jade pendant was actually excavated, and a large tomb was found, that is, the tomb of a woman during the Shang Dynasty.
This discovery caused a great sensation in the archaeological community at that time, because more than three thousand years have passed since the Shang Dynasty, and the number of cultural relics handed down is relatively small, not to mention the large tombs that are relatively well preserved, and the historical value brought is very large. In the process of excavation by archaeologists, a large number of artifacts have been unearthed, including numerous bronzes and jades.
In the process of later sorting, one of the cultural relics, because of its peculiar shape, attracted the special attention of archaeologists. This is an object made of jade, and unlike things like jade pendants found together, what the real purpose of this object is has attracted controversy. This piece of jade has a hole in the middle and is also chiseled with a groove. The craftsmen have carefully carved this object, and it looks very beautiful. Archaeologists initially thought it should be a sacrificial object, but after later research, it was found that this was not the case, but had another purpose.
After careful identification and deliberation, the experts finally determined that the real role of this jade product should be to wear it on the hand when shooting arrows, and use the wrench to protect the fingers. The wrench has been used until now, but the history goes directly back to the Shang Dynasty more than 3,000 years ago, but it has never been.
At the time, the wrench was a complete piece of armor in war. The owner of the tomb, Lady Hao, although a woman, is very brave in fighting, leading the army on behalf of king Wu many times, winning many wars, and is a heroine like Mulan in the history of the Shang Dynasty. Using a wrench finger to accompany the funeral is also more consistent with her identity.
However, with the evolution of history, in the later, probably Qing Dynasty, the wrench slowly evolved from a armor in war to a decorative item, and could even be used as a symbol of status. The source of everything still dates back to more than three thousand years ago, and this is also the oldest wrench found in archaeological history, which has considerable historical research significance.
Although the status of the ancient woman was relatively low, this female general was a good woman and showed a very special bravery. This first wrench in history also bears witness to her contribution on the battlefield.