"What I thought was the most precious before I died would become the burial object of all the people who died, for Yu Xuan to continue to use." ”
Morgan, a famous American historian, when talking about ancient society, judged the funerary customs of the ancients in this way.
A total of more than 15,000 cultural relics have been excavated from the tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng, most of which are weapons of various kinds, indicating that Marquis Yi of Zeng was a belligerent person. The second is a variety of musical instruments, and when Zeng Houyi fought, he seemed to listen to symphonies. Surrounded by weapons and musical instruments are 21 coffins containing many ceremonial objects and maidens.
After his death, there were 21 young girls (all 15-24 years old) serving him, and Zeng Houyi enjoyed it.
Just from the types of cultural relics unearthed, it can be seen that Zeng Houyi is a man with a very strong sense of enterprise. At the same time, he is also a man who juggles life.
Want to drink, there are ice and other wine vessels; want to listen to songs, have musical instruments such as arrangers; want to swing scores, have ceremonial instruments such as nine dings and eight guises; women, I think there is an unimportant girl... In fact, after Zeng Houyi died, what he wanted most was meat.
Because archaeologists found a "zoo" in Zeng Houyi's mouth. This "zoo" includes:
6 small jade cattle,
Four little jade sheep,
Three little jade pigs,
Three ducks,
Three little jade fish,
Two jade dogs... A total of 21 small animals made of jade.
These small animals put into Zeng Houyi's mouth are not Zeng Houyi's senior "animal protection" who loves small animals; on the contrary, these animals are the delicacies of Zeng Houyi's death.
They have a very good name, called Han Rice. Rice is to be eaten; implication, umbilical refers to the beads contained in the mouth. Meals are used to fill the stomach after the death of the deceased.
The Zhou Li stipulates that the higher the level of the person, the more balls can be used.
Marquis Yi of Zeng, surnamed Ji Yi, was a direct descendant of Nangong Shi, the founding minister of the Western Zhou Dynasty, "Four Friends of King Wen". After King Wu agreed on the world, Nangong Shicheng became the Third Duke (suspected to have the title of Zeng Guo). His fiefdom was one of the most important bronze producing areas in Western Zhou, which showed that Zhou Tianzi attached great importance to Nangong Shi.
Regarding seniority and sequence, the status of the monarch in the early years of the Western Zhou Dynasty was absolutely high.
Zeng Houyi has money and status, and naturally can enjoy a wealth of funerary goods. According to statistics, the total weight of the light bronze products in the tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng has more than 20,000 kilograms! Don't mention the countless woodwork, jade and other funerary items.
Proportional to the huge number of funerary items, this is the "zoo" mentioned by Zeng Houyi.
In ancient times, from the Son of Heaven down to the commoners, after death, stuffed their mouths with things. "Talking Garden" has clouds:
The Son of Heaven contains jade, the princes contain jade, the Doctor contains Jie, the Scholar contains shellfish, and the Shu contains rice.
A bead is a jewel and a jade is a jade vessel.
Marquis Yi of Zeng was of the rank of prince, and according to the Zhou Li, he should have a jade in his mouth.
The most common jade shapes in the mouths of the princes in the pre-Qin period were cicadas, fish, etc.; cicadas symbolized rebirth, and fish represented precious status. But as straight as Zeng Houyi, whose mouth is stuffed with pigs, cattle, horses, sheep and other small animals, archaeology in the pre-Qin period is only an example.
If something is wrong, there must be a demon.
Zeng Houyi violated common sense and stuffed his mouth with "zoo". There is only one possibility: he was particularly fond of eating meat during his lifetime (in the pre-Qin period, it was the upper class who could eat meat). How much does Zeng Houyi like meat?
Scientists conducted scientific tests on the teeth left behind in Zeng Houyi's coffin, and the analysis proved that the facial wear of Zeng Houyi's cheek marks was significantly high, and his diet was mainly meat-based. This scientific test proved that Zeng Houyi was indeed a "carnivore".
Therefore, even if Zeng Houyi dies, "Don't put the three animals and other delicacies before the festival, put them directly in your mouth, don't get into trouble!" "I didn't forget to explain it to my family.
After Zeng Houyi's death, his family not only stuffed the weapons, musical instruments, wine utensils, and tableware they liked in their lives into the grave, but also stuffed 21 sisters to eat, drink and have fun. Of course, meat is needed! So, his family carved a "zoo" for him with the finest jade, satisfying his will.
What's the use of that? Was it dug up too? However, it does make people today very happy.