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In ancient China, the rich and powerful preferred luxurious tombs in order to enjoy the glory of life after death. Near Dongyang Village, Dangtu County, Anhui Province, there is a huge mound that has been sealed, and people call it the "Tomb of the Son of Heaven".
In 2015, Anhui archaeologists excavated a tomb of the Three Kingdoms period and found that there were three coffins inside, as well as a golden toad and a large number of cultural relics.
An ancient tomb buried in Dongyang Village, Anhui Province
There is a mysterious tomb in Dongyang Village, Dangtu County, Anhui Province, which is known as the "Tomb of the Son of Heaven". The tomb is buried in a tomb that has been buried for more than a thousand years.
In 2015, at the request of the local government, the Anhui Provincial Institute of Culture and Archaeology was allowed to excavate the mysterious tomb.
In fact, the village is full of mausoleum keepers, and they were opposed to archaeologists digging the tomb before, until the government came forward and they reluctantly agreed.
Archaeologists formed a special team to excavate, and during the archaeological process, it was found that the tomb was basically a cross-shaped tomb, about 19 meters long and 8.5 meters wide.
The tomb has a sealed door, a tomb door and a retaining wall, a corridor, an antechamber and a forechamber and a backroom from south to north. The brick structure of the tomb is still relatively intact today.
The total length of the tomb is 15.4 meters, of which the front hall (including the transept) is 11 meters wide at its widest point, covering an area of 93 square meters.
During the excavations, the archaeological team found a pronounced topology and elaborate architectural construction of the burial chamber, although the four corners of the burial chamber retained a quarter of the arc design, gradually tightening towards the middle.
The large scale and elaborate structure of the cemetery have become important physical evidence for archaeologists to study the cultural and social background of the Three Kingdoms period, and it also proves once again that the owner of the tomb must not be an ordinary person.
So who is the identity of the owner of this tomb? Is it really the "tomb of the Son of Heaven" as rumored?
Who is the owner of the tomb?
When the researchers were looking for information, they unexpectedly found the "Jisheng of the Land" written by the Southern Song Dynasty and the "Taiping Mansion Chronicles" revised by the Ming Dynasty, both of which gave a detailed account of the imperial tomb of King Wu, which made them more convinced that this was most likely the tomb of King Wu.
Archaeologists carried out meticulous cleaning of the tomb, and they were surprised to find that most of the burial chamber was located below the plane of the tomb. This led them to speculate that the burial chamber was deliberately built in this location, possibly to prevent the burial from collapsing.
The soil filled for this tomb is of excellent quality, and it is all made of yellow and reddish-brown raw soil. The material of the sealing soil and the filling soil are exactly the same, and the texture and ramming method of the two are also the same, showing superb skills.
The archaeological team also noticed that a piece of porcelain fragment was also unearthed in the tomb, which was identified as engraved with the words "Yong'an three years", which happened to be the year established by Sun Xiu, the third emperor of Eastern Wu, during his reign.
According to archaeological discoveries and historical records, it was finally determined that the owner of this ancient tomb was Sun Xiu, the third emperor of Eastern Wu, and this discovery is of great significance for studying the history of the Three Kingdoms period and understanding ancient tombs.
A coffin for men and women buried together
In the in-depth and meticulous cleaning of archaeologists, they found that the tomb had been opened twice, which confirmed the existence of the mystery of the joint burial. There are three coffins in the tomb, which can't help but lead people to reverie, and the identity of the owner of this ancient tomb can be imagined.
After meticulous work to open the coffin, archaeologists found three skeletons, including two women and one man. This discovery has aroused the interest of archaeologists and also confirms the special nature of the joint burial of two women in this tomb.
Through detailed observation and analysis of the unearthed skeleton fossils, archaeologists have revealed a tragic history hidden in this tomb. According to historical records, these two should be a concubine of Mrs. Zhu and Sun Xiu.
Not long after Sun Xiu died, Empress Zhu was killed by Sun Hao. Later, she was buried in the emperor's mausoleum and buried with Sun Xiu. The progress of this historical event coincides with the excavation of a second tomb by archaeologists.
Zhu is the daughter of Sun Xiu's sister Sun Luyu and Zhu Ju, but she married Sun Xiu. The two had a heart-to-heart relationship, and Zhu personally accompanied Sun Xiu to study, just like a stringed piano.
But the world is unpredictable, and Sun Quan had to give Zhu Ju to death for political needs. Sun Xiu and Zhu also lost their political support. Sun Liang ascended to the throne in a political struggle, and Sun Xiu had to send the Zhu family back to China and hand it over to the Sun brothers.
The loss of political asylum of the Zhu family became Sun Xiu's special sustenance, and he did not forget his original intention and insisted on canonizing Zhu as the queen. Although the Zhu family has many concubines, Sun Xiu only loves the Zhu family, and the two have a good love.
Four sons were born between the couple, the crown prince, the king of Runan, the king of Liang and the king of Chen, and when Sun Xiu ascended the throne, repelled Sun Jun's descendants and began a new reign, he led the Zhu family to the top of the imperial family.
In 265, the government lost the Zhu family and the Ling brothers, and Sun Hao sent the Zhu coffin to the tomb of the Son of Heaven and reburied it in Sun Xiu's arms.
Artifacts that travel through the millennia
Archaeologists found a toad made of gold in the ancient tomb, which made many people feel strange, in the traditional concept of the Chinese people, the toad is a toad, a symbol of evil, how can it appear in the tomb of the Son of Heaven?
In fact, in ancient times, the toad was an immortal beast in Taoism, and was regarded as the ancestor of Nuwa, and it was a mascot for the powerful people who pursued immortality.
Although the tomb has been stolen and excavated, there are still many exquisite lacquered wood ornaments, exquisite ornaments, chariot and horse parts, weapons and so on. From these cultural relics, we can learn about the life and culture of ancient societies.
On this ornament of "Toad Playing Golden Dragon", we can see the exquisite skills of ancient craftsmen. This ornament is made with a double-layer hammering process, so that the patterns on the left and right sides are independent, but they complement each other.
The Chinese dragon on the right is majestic, and the toad on the left is slightly ugly, but it is this contrast that makes the whole ornament more visually impactful.
This ornament of "Toad Playing Golden Dragon" is likely to be one of the favorite ornaments of the tomb owner during his lifetime. It is not only a work of art, but also a cultural relic that carries the ancients' pursuit of life and immortality.
The discovery of this artifact has given us a deeper understanding of ancient societies. It shows the ancients' cherishing of life and the exploration of the unknown, and also reflects their love for life and yearning for beauty.
epilogue
Through the excavation of the Dongwu tomb in Dongyang, we can better understand the rise and fall of the Dongwu royal family during the Three Kingdoms period, as well as people's pursuit of immortality. The scale of the tomb, the exquisite architecture, and the many things excavated are unique and rich in the culture of Soochow, and it is a valuable historical material.
Dongyang Dongwu Tomb, a national key cultural relics protection unit, is not only a time tunnel, but also a channel that allows us to get close to the life of the ancients, experience the beliefs and aspirations of the ancients, and also a window that makes us curious and contemplative about history.
Through the preservation and study of these cultural relics, we can have a deeper understanding of the magnificent history of the Three Kingdoms and the Six Dynasties, so that this period of history can be passed down from generation to generation and will not be forgotten.
The excavation and research of the "Dongyang Dongwu Tomb" by archaeologists is a process full of challenges and opportunities, which makes us love and cherish the treasures of history more, and also stimulates our thinking about ancient culture.
China has a history of more than 5,000 years, and its culture is even more profound and has a long history, and in the future research, we will continue to work hard to uncover more historical mysteries and let this history be passed on forever.
Information source: Phoenix.com "Like! Ma'anshan has added another "national" business card!
Anhui Provincial Center of Cultural Relics and Archaeology "Archaeological Excavation of the "Tomb of the Son of Heaven" Dongwu Tomb in Dangtu County Achieves Phased Results