Data map: Terracotta Warriors and Horses of Qin Shihuang.
Photo by Zhang Yichen
The "Jiangcun Tomb" in Bailuyuan, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, was recently identified as the Emperor Hanwen's Ba Mausoleum.
According to relevant records and textual research since the Yuan Dynasty, it is generally believed that the Emperor Hanwen's Ba Mausoleum is located at the Phoenix Mouth, two kilometers north of the Jiangcun Tomb.
Data map: A distant view of excavation site No. 1 Jiangcun Tomb taken on May 15, 2019.
Photo courtesy of Shaanxi Archaeological Research Institute issued by China News Service
This major archaeological discovery can be said to have corrected the misunderstanding about the Western Han Dynasty imperial mausoleum that has been circulating for nearly a thousand years.
Hanwen Emperor Liu Heng was the fourth son of Liu Bang, the emperor of the Han Dynasty, and the third emperor of the Western Han Dynasty. He reigned for 23 years.
Historically, Emperor Wen and his son, Emperor Han Jing, were collectively referred to as the "Government of Wenjing" during their reign, laying the foundation for the prosperity of the Han Dynasty.
Data map: Part of the painted pottery figurines unearthed from the Jiangcun Tomb.
Photo courtesy of Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology issued by China News Service
Archaeologists discovered a large number of pottery figurines in the tomb of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty. Among them are the criminal figurines unearthed for the first time in our country.
It is understood that the discovery of Ba Ling was related to a tomb robbery involving black pottery figurines in the Western Han Dynasty many years ago.
When it comes to terracotta warriors, do you think of the more famous Qin terracotta warriors?
Then, how did the terracotta warriors and horses of the Mausoleum of the First Emperor Qin Shi Huang be discovered?
Why can it quickly become world-renowned and become the famous "Eighth Wonder of the World"?
Data map: Terracotta warriors standing in the repair area of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses of Emperor Qin Shihuang's Mausoleum.
Photo by Zhang Yichen
We set the hour hand back to 1974.
In March of this year, in Xiyang Village, two or three miles east of the Qinling Mausoleum in Lintong, Shaanxi, members of the community were digging a well and dug up a pile of pottery fragments.
Fang Shumin, the cadre of the commune, saw so many fragments, he was more concerned and called the county cultural center.
Zhao Kangmin of the cultural center arrived at the scene and took away the pottery fragments.
After more than ten days of piecing together, finally two big ancient soldiers about 1.8 meters tall were glued and spliced together.
But at this time, Zhao Kangmin had no idea what to do next.
The terracotta warriors and horses who have been sleeping underground for more than two thousand years have reached a new historical threshold. Will they continue to be silent, or break out of the ground and shock the world?
In May, a Lintong man who was a reporter in Beijing came home to visit relatives.
All of a sudden, the fate of nearly 8,000 terracotta warriors was changed.
This reporter is called Lin Anwen.
While visiting relatives, the wife who worked in the Lintong County Cultural Center talked with him and mentioned that pottery figurines were unearthed near the Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shihuang.
As Lin Anwen, who has a deep understanding of Xi'an's history and culture, he is very curious.
The next day, Lin Anwen came to Zhao Kangmin's studio, who was repairing the pottery figurines.
I saw a roughly restored pottery figurine standing there, tall and life-sized, majestic and proud.
Lin Anwen, who was familiar with history books, judged that he was the image of a soldier in the Qin Dynasty and was a rare "national treasure"!
Lin Anwen was home more than a month later, and his vacation was full.
After returning to Beijing, he wrote a report on "A Group of Qin Dynasty Warrior Pottery Figurines Unearthed from the Mausoleum of Qin Shihuang".
According to the report, these pottery figurines were dressed in military uniforms and held weapons in their hands. They were shaped in accordance with the true images of soldiers in the Qin Dynasty.
Pottery figurines have been unearthed around the Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shihuang before, but they are all small kneeling figurines. This is the first time that they have been discovered like this kind of real-life figurines.
The discovery of this batch of warrior pottery figurines is of great value for evaluating Qin Shihuang and studying the politics, economy, and military of the Qin Dynasty.
Data map: The Mausoleum Museum of Emperor Qin Shihuang.
Photo by Zhang Yichen
Lin Anwen also mentioned in the report that the Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shihuang is a national key cultural relic protection unit, but it has not been properly protected.
The production team digs pits in the cemetery at will to open up wasteland for farming.
Some of the metal products in the unearthed cultural relics were destroyed as scrap copper and rotten iron, and some stone and pottery objects were thrown away.
This is the first report on the Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses.
At that time, high-level leaders of the central government attached great importance to it. Li Xiannian, then vice premier of the State Council, immediately issued instructions to the State Administration of Cultural Heritage to discuss with the Shaanxi Provincial Party Committee and take prompt measures to properly protect this important cultural relic.
One stone stirred up a thousand waves and ushered in a new chapter in Chinese archaeological history.
The discovery of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses of the Qin Dynasty quickly attracted the attention of the world. The President of the United States, the Queen of England, the Prime Minister of Japan, and the Prime Minister of France all came to visit.
On September 1, 1978, Chirac, then mayor of Paris and later President of France, visited the Terra Cotta Warriors and said: “There are seven miracles in the world, and the discovery of the Terracotta Warriors can be said to be eight miracles.”
The terracotta warriors and horses are called "the eighth wonder of the world" and its discovery is recognized as "the greatest archaeological discovery of the twentieth century."
As recognized as "the first person to report the unearthed Qin warriors", Lin Anwen was the vice president of China News Agency before retiring.
He also traveled south to Guangdong and served as the vice president and president of the Guangdong branch of the China News Service.
After he retired from his job, he still cared about the archaeological research of Qin's terracotta warriors and horses, was fascinated by Qin history, and studied Qin seal.
There was a TV drama joking about history, and the terracotta warriors and horses were actually used as the funeral of Miyue (Queen Mother Qin Xuan).
He sternly pointed out that this was "indiscriminate fabrication."
He emphasized that the conclusion that the Terracotta Warriors and Horses were buried as "one emperor" Qin Shihuang was beyond doubt.
Lin Anwen also wrote a seven-character quatrain, "Say to the Terracotta Warriors and Horses of Qin": "Golden Ge, Iron Horse Sweep the Heroes, Unify China's Eternal Power. It is not the kings who live and die, the Qin Emperor is proud of the sky!"
Data map: Cultural relics unearthed from the pit outside Jiangcun Great Tomb are placed in the archaeological work room.
Zhang Yuanshe
Regarding the fact that the Jiangcun Tomb was confirmed to be the Ba tomb of Emperor Hanwen, the reporter contacted Lin Lao.
Although pottery figurines have been unearthed from the Ba tomb of Emperor Wen of Han and Emperor Qin Shi Huang, Lin Lao analyzed that there should be no connection between the tomb of Emperor Wen Wen and the terracotta warriors and horses of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. There should be a connection.
Lin Lao also said that Emperor Wen Wen was one of the few good emperors in Chinese history.
The "Fourth of Emperor Ji" in "Han Shu" refers to Han Wendi.
Asked about his advice on archaeology and cultural preservation of cultural relics, the 80-year-old Lin said modestly that more archaeological professionals should be consulted in this regard, "I am now studying overseas Chinese media!"
Indeed, external communication is his profession and his enthusiasm.
It can be said to live and learn, salute you!
Author: Cheng Jingwei
Reference article:
"This old journalist unveiled a report about the Terracotta Warriors and Horses and discovered that I learned from him..."
Author: Ma Haiyan Source: Paodingjienews (paodingjienews)