Bao Zheng's grave was actually placed with eight iron rings, which raised people's suspicions, whether it was a malicious act or a hidden story? And after the death of Bao Zheng, who claimed to be clean and impartial, he actually used valuable golden silk nan wood to make the coffin, does this mean that we have been misled?
Back in 1973, when a factory in Hefei was planning to build a lime kiln and needed to remove local Song Dynasty tombs, the Anhui Cultural Relics Bureau quickly organized an archaeological team to go to salvage excavations. Due to the damage of the tomb complex and the fact that the tombstones were almost non-existent, the archaeological team decided to start with a small tomb on the edge, which led to a great discovery unexpectedly.
Normally, the edges of the tomb complex do not bury important people, however, the discovery of a goldenrod coffin in this small tomb was a major breakthrough. Famous for its kingly temperament, its wood grain has a golden silk-like luster, and grows in the Yinshi Valley at an altitude of 1500 meters, with a growth cycle of more than 400 years. In addition, it has a special aroma, is able to resist insects, and the wood is strong and non-perishable, which has always been the first choice of royalty and nobles to choose to make coffins. The discovery has raised questions from the archaeological team whether this seemingly inconspicuous site is a royal tomb.
When the archaeological team opened the coffin, they discovered something unexpected. There were no funerary objects inside the coffin, and even the two skeletons were damaged to varying degrees. To solve this mystery, archaeologists carefully searched the dirt for information about the tomb's owner. Soon, they found some broken targets, which clearly read: "Tomb of the Deputy Envoy of Song Shu Mi and Shang Shu Xiaosu Bao Cemetery of the Ministry of Rites." It turned out to be the famous tomb of Bao Zheng, but surprisingly, together with his wife Dong, the funerary goods were very limited.
This discovery has led people to question the history of Bao Zheng. In reality, Bao Zheng's appearance is actually handsome, he has a fair face and a long beard, he has never served as the Yin of Kaifeng Prefecture, and the highest position is Privy Councillor, equivalent to today's Deputy Minister of Defense. The coffin does not contain the rich funeral goods that people expect, but the coffin made of golden silk nan wood seems to be inconsistent with Bao Zheng's low-key image.
However, in the process of opening the coffin, archaeologists discovered an even more bizarre phenomenon: eight iron rings were nailed to the coffin. This is widely regarded as a soul ring in the folk and is usually used for people who have acted evil or suffered great wrongs during their lifetime, in order to prevent them from becoming ghosts after death. However, Bao Zheng, who was working in the Privy Council before his death, died of a sudden illness, and it is difficult to understand why he was regarded as a wronged person. Archaeologists also can't explain why Bao Zheng, a prominent member of the Bao family, was buried in such an inconspicuous place.
Just when everyone was puzzled, the excavation work of the archaeological team attracted the attention of an old local stonemason, who told the archaeological team that the real Bao Zheng cemetery was hidden deep in the center of the tomb complex, and he had always been the guardian in charge of guarding the Bao Zheng cemetery.
The archaeology team went to the site indicated by the old stonemason to excavate, and unexpectedly unearthed a tomb 4.8 meters long from north to south, five meters long from east to west, and 12 meters long on the slope of the tomb. However, this cemetery has long been ransacked by grave thieves, and the burial chamber has been severely damaged, and even the floor tiles have been pried open. Fortunately, archaeologists found the remains of 12 martyrs in the cemetery, a treatment that in the Song Dynasty was restricted to officials above the second rank. In addition, they found the pedestal of the previously found tombstone, confirming that the cemetery was located due north of the burial complex, the original tomb of Bao Zheng.
However, although Bao Zheng's original tomb was found, it was still impossible to explain the golden silk nan wood coffin and the eight iron rings on it. In addition, there have been rumors among the people that Bao Zheng died of poisoning. At first, it was widely believed that the destruction of cemeteries was the work of grave robbers, but grave robbers were usually only interested in funerary objects and would not pry tombstones into pieces. This is more like the revenge of the enemy, even the guards of the tomb do not know anything about it, let alone explain the problem.
The archaeological team had to go to the local museum to collect information and found that the golden silk nan wood coffin was probably given to Bao Zheng by the emperor at the time, Song Renzong. Emperor Renzong of Song was known historically for his tolerance, and even though Bao Zheng had openly opposed the promotion of the emperor's relatives, and even spat on the argument, Song Renzong could only reluctantly agree with Bao Zheng's opinion. Although it is thought that this discovery explains the origin of the coffin of Jinxi Nanmu, the truth about the destruction and transfer of Bao Zheng's original burial tomb remains elusive.
Song Renzong
Finally, through trace element detection and synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence analysis, experts found that Bao Zheng's bones contained high levels of mercury, but this did not conclusively prove that he died of poisoning. Later, the archaeological team found a passage in the documents of Luzhou Mansion, revealing the truth about the destruction and relocation of Bao Zheng's cemetery. It turned out that all this happened during the Jingkang Rebellion more than 60 years after Bao Zheng's death, when Jin soldiers invaded the south, many cities were looted, and the tomb group where Bao Zheng was located also became their target.
Jin soldiers invaded the south
Bao Zheng's descendants were forced to flee for refuge and hastily transferred the bones, resulting in damage to the bones. As for the eight iron rings, they were just emergency measures taken to transfer the wooden coffin. It is for this reason that the precious golden silk nan wood coffin has been preserved intact to this day, and this discovery not only clarifies the rumor that Bao Zheng was killed, but also highlights the relationship between Bao Zheng and Song Renzong. #头条创作挑战赛#