Master Archaeologist

"The burial pit story is no longer likely to be true."

Chen Han shook his head.

With the discovery of the sacrificial area outside, the theory of the burial pit is actually difficult to hold water.

At present, the excavation of the sacrificial area around the sacrificial pit is getting better and better.

In the priest building, it has now been discovered that a layer of loess has been paved on the ground.

In the eyes of modern people, this seems to be nothing.

But in ancient times, a layer of loess would be specially laid only in places where great attention was paid.

In the old days, there was a custom of "laying loess on the road and pouring clean water on the street".

That is to say, before the emperor went on a tour, the people would pave the driveway with loess and splash the road with clean water.

This is not just a rule to show the majesty of the royal family, but also because the streets of the capital are too dirty, and the royal family needs to keep them clean and tidy before traveling, so as not to disturb the royal travel due to potholes and dust.

And this custom has been passed down from thousands of years ago.

Because there were no concrete roads in ancient times, walking on ordinary dirt roads would easily raise dust and make people look embarrassed.

That's how the word "travelling" came about.

Spreading loess and sprinkling water can avoid this embarrassing situation.

Generally, the ancients would do this only on important occasions and to meet valuable people.

On the side of the sacrificial area, a thick layer of loess was found on the ground, and the location was right in front of the building.

Obviously, this is a trace left over from the year-round sacrificial activities.

The stone ritual vessels, the large building, and the loess and gravel layer in front of the gate all show that this building is only 20 meters away from the No. [-] sacrificial pit, which is extraordinary.

Definitely not an ordinary residence.

It is self-evident what kind of building that is.

The "burial pit" theory, which was controversial in the academic circles, is actually untenable after this archaeological discovery.

"By the way, Junior Brother Chen, the Sanxingdui Cultural Relic Restoration Institute has sent a message."

Zhuang Yunpeng slapped his head, suddenly remembered something, and said excitedly: "The few stone slabs we found in the pit before were sent to the restoration institute, and the researchers confirmed that those stone slabs were actually a musical instrument when put together. !"

"It seems to be a stone chime!"

"Oh?!" Chen Han looked at Zhuang Yunpeng in surprise.

In previous archaeological discoveries, musical instruments are a very common type of cultural relic.

Like the previous archaeological projects that Chen Han participated in, except for the earliest Lajia ruins, he did not personally excavate musical instruments.

In the tombs of the aristocrats of the Zeng State, the tomb of the Nanyue king, and the tomb of the Marquis of Haihun unearthed later, musical instruments were unearthed by themselves.

It can be said that in Chinese culture, musical instruments are a very important part, and they also occupy an important part in funerals.

After all, in ancient times, musical instruments were also a kind of ritual vessel, and only high-ranking nobles could enjoy such advanced things as "music".

During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, commoners may never have the chance to hear music once in their lifetime, and only the nobles could.

Naturally, such advanced things will also become an important part of funeral culture.

However, no musical instrument has ever been unearthed in the sacrificial pit in Sanxingdui for decades!
Therefore, some experts even believe that the people of the ancient Shu Kingdom did not have etiquette and music at all! …

After all, rites and music were developed by the Central Plains Dynasty, and it is normal for the ancient Shu people to have no rites and music.

Unexpectedly, musical instruments were found in the No. [-] sacrificial pit this time!

"Slate?!" Chen Han thought for a while, and asked uncertainly, "Is it the seven pieces that were cleaned out by the way when the gold leaf was discovered last time?"

"Yes!" Zhuang Yunpeng nodded fiercely.

Last week, a number of heavyweight cultural relics were unearthed from the No. [-] sacrificial pit.

There are more than 60 gold leaves of different sizes, the longest is about 16 centimeters, and the shortest is about 5 centimeters. They are as thin as cicada wings, and there are geometric lines on the surface, showing the superb carving skills of the ancient Shu people.

Although gold itself has very good ductility, it is not difficult to make the effect as thin as a cicada's wings.

But considering that it was made by the ancient Shu people 3000 years ago, and there are many exquisite patterns carved on the gold leaves.

This is very remarkable.

In terms of metal crafts, the Sanxingdui culture can indeed be proud.

In addition, bronze fragments with silk fabrics were also discovered at that time, which was the first time in the archaeological discovery of Sanxingdui, and it has a very high reference value for the study of the textile technology of the ancient Shu people.

Silk fabrics, this thing is completely unique to the unique product of Chinese civilization.

Except for the Chinese civilization, no other civilization in the world plays with silk fabrics.

After all, if you want to make silk fabrics, you need to learn how to raise silkworms first, then extract silkworm cocoons, then make silkworm cocoons into silk threads, and finally weave silkworms into silk.

According to Chinese legends, the first person who discovered that silkworms could be used to make silk was Leizu, the wife of the Yellow Emperor.

This immediately puts the birth time of silk back to 5000 years ago!
This is no nonsense!
Combined with archaeological discoveries, it can be confirmed that the Chinese people had already raised silkworms at least 5000 years ago!

Archaeologists found half a silkworm cocoon in the Yangshao Culture 5500 to 6000 years ago. It can be seen that in the middle Neolithic period 6000 years ago, China began to raise silkworms, take silk, and weave silk!
This evidence is very conclusive.

Because silkworms have no other function other than being raised for silk. They can neither be eaten nor cured.

For people in the prehistoric Neolithic period, it was even more impossible to raise silkworms as pets. People at that time were precarious and not so free.

The discovery of silkworm cocoons in the Yangshao culture can only indicate that the Yangshao culture had mastered the uses of silkworm cocoons at that time.

The Yangshao culture is now unanimously considered to be the birthplace of Chinese civilization and the predecessor of the Xia Dynasty, that is, the period of the Three Emperors and Five Emperors.

Obviously, the historical legends of China are quite reliable when it does not involve ghosts and gods.

It is also reasonable to find fragments of silk fabrics in Sanxingdui.

According to some historical documents, the ancestors of the ancient Shu Kingdom were a branch of Emperor Ku, the grandson of the Yellow Emperor. It is reasonable to have mastered the silkworm breeding technology!
Moreover, according to the records of "Huayang Guozhi", the silkworm Cong, the first king of the ancient Shu Kingdom, began to teach the people to cultivate silkworms and reel silk, and was called "the God of Tsing Yi". The name "Silkworm Cong" may be derived from this.

In other words, Cancong taught the Shu people how to reel and make silk.

Later, when Qin State annexed the land of Bashu, Shu brocade was indeed one of the best silks in China, the most high-grade and most beautiful silk.

Until the Tang Dynasty, the silk produced by the real estate in Shu was the top-notch. Before the Song Dynasty, silk had nothing to do with wild places like Jiangnan.

However, according to the records, Cancong should be the monarch of the Shu Kingdom in the early Eastern Zhou Dynasty, and it seems that he has nothing to do with the Sanxingdui civilization.

It can only be said that the sporadic records about the ancient Shu Kingdom are too messy and unclear.

However, the discovery of silk fabrics in the sacrificial pit in Sanxingdui is definitely of great significance. It has refreshed the absolute age of silk culture in Shu, and it has been pulled back to 3000 years ago!
Against the background of these great discoveries, the unremarkable stone slabs that were cleaned out together naturally did not attract the attention of anyone including Chen Han.

In the end, they didn't expect that these few unremarkable stone slabs would bring them such a big surprise!