Liang Yu of the Anyang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology reported that the title of the report was "Shaojia Shed Wenyuan Phase II Shed Transformation Shang Dynasty Site". The Wenyuan Area (XB6-2-6-1) project began archaeological excavations in April 2020 with an excavation area of 6,700 square meters, excavating and cleaning up a large number of Shang and Zhou period ash pits, house foundations and tombs. From the comprehensive analysis of stratigraphic relations, excavated pottery, bronze types, etc., the era of the Shaojiapeng Shang Dynasty site began in the third phase of Yin Ruins and ended in the late stage of Yin Ruins IV, especially the fourth period of Yin Ruins was its prosperous period. The sites excavated this time are densely distributed, large in area, rich in cultural connotation, relatively complete preservation of various types of ruins, and many and rich types of excavated artifacts, which is a relatively important archaeological discovery in the southern area of Yin Ruins recently. It is of great significance for the study of the scope and layout of the Yin Ruins sites, as well as the cultural connotation and cultural development sequence of the Shang Dynasty sites in the southern district of Yin Ruins. The upper age of the site here is the third phase of Yin Ruins, and the lower limit is the late stage of Yin Ruins Phase IV. Some bronze carriage and horse ware, some pottery, large tombs, etc. have the typical characteristics of the late stage of the fourth phase of the Yin Ruins. Some scholars believe that the late Yin Xu IV period may have entered the early Western Zhou Dynasty. Therefore, the discovery of this site is of great significance for the study of the culture of the late Yin Ruins IV period, the late Shang Dynasty and the early Zhou Dynasty.
[The report was published at the "2021 Henan Archaeological Work Achievements Exchange Meeting" held in Nanyang, Henan on the afternoon of December 17, 2021]
Extended Materials:
Anyang, Henan Province, found the Shang Dynasty "book" ethnic burial area
The Yin Ruins Palace Area was formed into an arch guard
2022-01-06
Above the "Zhong" glyph-shaped tomb, 3 "Day" glyph courtyards are arranged in a regular manner; around the tomb, there are 4 carriage and horse pits and several funerary tombs; on a number of exquisitely shaped bronzes, inscribed with the inscription of the word "book"... A few days ago, the Shang Dynasty "book" ethnic burial unity site was found in Shaojiapeng Village, Anyang, Henan, forming an arch guard for the Yin Ruins Palace Area.
After two years of archaeological excavations, the site of Shaojiapeng, located on the southeast edge of the Yin Ruins Conservation Area and 2.4 kilometers away from the ruins of the Ancestral Temple of the Yin Ruins Palace, has been judged by archaeologists to be an important area for the "Book" people of the Shang Dynasty to live and live. "In the Oracle, there is a record of the 'Book' clan. The 'book' clan emblem appeared on a number of bronzes found at the Shaojiapeng site this time, so we believe that the 'book' clan is active in the area. Kong Deming, director of the Anyang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, said.
△ The archaeological excavation site of the Shaojiapeng site photographed by drones. (Photo courtesy of Anyang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology)
Archaeologists found a total of 18 house foundations in the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, 24 tombs, including a "medium" glyph-shaped tomb, 4 chema pits, a total of 6 vehicles, and unearthed a number of exquisite bronzes, jade tools, bone mussels, carriage and horse tools.
"The discovery of the 'middle' glyph-shaped mega-tomb and the 4-seat carriage and horse pit at the Shaojiapeng site is the first time in the archaeology of the southern yin xu district, and the phenomenon of the ruins in it is also extraordinary." Kong Deming said.
△ The burial chamber of the "middle" glyph-shaped tomb at the site of Shaojiapeng. (Photo courtesy of Anyang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology)
Of the 18 Shang Dynasty tombs that have been excavated, the "Zhong" glyph-shaped tomb was seriously stolen, and only a small number of small artifacts such as pottery and carriage and horse ware have been excavated.
In the rest of the burial tombs, a total of more than 20 sets of bronze ceremonial vessels have been excavated, including Ding, Yao, Jue, etc., and some have inscriptions "books". In addition, a large number of bronze weapons, carriage and horse tools, jade tools, bone mussels and so on have been unearthed. A bronze lid with an inscription of 12 characters has also been unearthed in the site, which is very rare.
△ Bronze cover excavated from the site of Shaojiapeng. (Photo courtesy of Anyang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology)
In the 4 Shang Dynasty carriage and horse pits, a total of 6 cars were excavated, accompanied by martyrs and martyrs. Car ornaments and horse ornaments are more luxurious, a carriage found in the scepter, some martyrs wear shell charm hats, some martyrs also have shell charms on the head, and there are bronze substrates, gold veneer bubble ornaments hanging on the forehead of the horse.
"This is rare in archaeology in the Anyang area, reflecting the extraordinary status and power of the owner of the carriage." Kong Deming said.
△ Shaojiapeng ruins chema pit. Photo courtesy of Anyang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology
The 18 house foundations form 3 multi-entry courtyards, and the "middle" glyph tomb is located below the middle courtyard.
"These three courtyards are all north-south oriented, the plane is in the shape of a 'day', and the layout is very clear." Liang Yu, a technician at the Anyang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology and a staff member of the Shaojiapeng site archaeological excavation project, said.
According to reports, through anatomy and stratigraphic observation, the founding date of these three courtyards is the late Shang Dynasty, after many restorations and utilization, the abandoned age is before and after the Zhou King destroyed the Shang.
"In particular, the discovery of the steps paved with wooden planks in front of the foundation and the decorative remains of the inner wall of the foundation are the first discoveries in the archaeology of Yin Ruins." Kong Deming said that this is of great value for the study of the construction methods, building materials, layout, interior decoration and so on of the Shang Dynasty.
All kinds of indications show the high specifications and scale of the Shaojiapeng ruins, and what kind of social status do the "Book" people living here have? What kind of social division of labor is involved? What kind of relationship did it have with the Shang Dynasty royal family? These questions still need to be answered through follow-up studies.
△ A Shang Dynasty tomb in the ruins of Shaojiapeng, in which a large number of bronze artifacts have been excavated. (Photo courtesy of Anyang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology)
"The Shaojiapeng site is rich in cultural connotation, all kinds of relics are relatively completely preserved, and there are many excavated artifacts and rich types, which is of great significance for studying the scope and layout of the Yin Ruins site and the cultural connotation and cultural development sequence of the Shang Dynasty sites in the southern district of Yin Ruins." Kong Deming said.
The Shaojiapeng Shang Dynasty Site Archaeological Excavation Project, in cooperation with the construction of the local shed reform project, was carried out from October 2019 to December 2021 by a joint archaeological team composed of the Anyang Workstation of the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Anyang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology.
△ The bronze cover excavated from the Shaojiapeng site has an inscription of 12 characters on the inner wall (file photo). (Courtesy of Anyang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology)
△ Part of the bronze artifacts excavated from the Shaojiapeng site (file photo). (Courtesy of Anyang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology)
△ Archaeologists cleaned up the chema pit at the Shaojiapeng site (file photo). (Courtesy of Anyang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology)