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In 2019, something shocking happened in the small village of Bockford in West Berkshire, England. British archaeologists have discovered a Roman remains more than 1,600 years old there, which has attracted widespread attention. However, what really surprises people is not just these ancient ruins, but the five simplified Chinese characters carved into one of the stone tablets - "Jim is here".
Britain, once known as the empire of the sun, has displayed impressive influence in recent history. However, in this country, which is regarded as the birthplace of Western civilization, the appearance of Eastern Chinese characters is undoubtedly confusing and surprising. And what is even more incredible is that these five Chinese characters are actually simplified, what does this mean?
In the fourth century AD, the mainland was experiencing a turbulent era between the two Jin Dynasties, and the mainland culture at that time should not have spread to the island of Great Britain. But now, the appearance of this slate seems to present us with a challenge that forces us to re-examine the cultural exchanges of that historical period.
Let's go back to that special discovery site – Bockford.
The village is surrounded by the ruins of an ancient Roman villa, which is believed to have been built around the fourth century AD and is more than 1,600 years old. For a long time, the site was treated as a general archaeological site and did not receive enough attention. However, one day in 2019, the arrival of a British archaeological team changed all that.
At that time, the mission of the archaeological team was to conduct a routine archaeological study. However, during their expedition, they accidentally found a huge ancient Roman mosaic fresco. The fresco is six meters long and is made of many small stones of different colors, and its beauty and detail are stunning. The frescoes depict an ancient chariot race, which is said to be able to marry a princess, a story believed to be the origin of the Olympic Games.
The importance of this mural is that it depicts a blood-boiling chariot race in ancient times, where the winner of the race has the opportunity to win the favor of the princess and marry a beautiful woman. This story was widely spread in ancient society and is hailed as the origin of the birth of the Olympic Games. Because of its historical value and artistry, this mural in ancient Rome not only excites British archaeologists, but also fills an important puzzle piece in the history of ancient art in Britain.
However, due to the significance and power of this mural, the five Chinese characters on the stone slab were overlooked. However, the stone slab and the five simplified Chinese characters on it became the center of an archaeological anecdote.
The discovery of the mosaic mural has attracted widespread attention from the society, and the local archaeological team has carried out public excavations and invited the public to participate and share the fun of archaeology. Major British media outlets, such as The Sun and the British Morning Post, also carried extensive coverage of the excavation. While cleaning the mural, the team also found some animal bones and stones. Photographs of the stones and bones were also published in newspapers.
However, no one expected that an ordinary stone would hide a shocking secret. The stone was engraved with five simplified Chinese characters: "Jim is here."
The stone did not initially attract the attention of archaeologists. For the Chinese characters on the stones, they did not pay attention to it, but only regarded it as some meaningless symbol. However, when an Englishman who knew Chinese saw the photo of the stone in the newspaper, he recognized the five Chinese characters.
The discovery immediately attracted great public attention. The news that an ancient stone slab, a site with a history of more than 1,600 years, has appeared in Chinese characters, is undoubtedly shocking.
In the fourth century AD, China was still in the chaos of the Two Jin Dynasties. However, how could Chinese culture during this period spread to the distant island of Great Britain? This question has puzzled many archaeologists and historians. This is an unsolvable historical mystery, or, at least for now, unsolvable.
First of all, during the two Jin dynasties in the fourth century, China did have exchanges with the outside world, but it was more with neighboring Asian countries, such as Japan, Korea, Vietnam, etc. Chinese culture during this period had not yet extended to Europe, let alone the island of Great Britain, far from the continent.
Second, the Chinese of that period did not use simplified Chinese characters as we know them today, but traditional Chinese characters. Moreover, the glyph of the five characters "Jim is here" is very similar to modern simplified Chinese characters, which does not match the style of Chinese characters of that period.
Therefore, many people believe that this may be a misunderstanding or a prank. Some people also believe that it may be that some Chinese merchants or travelers came to the island of Great Britain and left this trace. But this is all speculation, without any substantial evidence to prove it.
Despite many questions and puzzles, this discovery undoubtedly made huge waves in people's minds. Many people began to take great interest in this mystery, and many more began to study Chinese culture and history in that period. This discovery may promote exchanges and cooperation between China and the UK in historical and cultural research.