Master Archaeologist

Chapter 120 Prince Wu's Light Halberd

The great-grandson Shao is the owner of this tomb M21.

There is no doubt that this is a middle and high-ranking aristocrat of the Zeng Kingdom.

In the Spring and Autumn Period, it was not officials selected through imperial examinations who controlled the power and positions in the various vassal states.

The country is governed by its own clan and the lords in the fiefdom.

This great-grandson Shao is obviously a prince of Zeng Guo and a member of the public clan.

Maybe when he was alive, he still held an important official position in Zeng Guo.

For example, officials such as Sima, Sikou, Wei, and Qing.

A spring and autumn aristocratic cemetery that has not been stolen is still very valuable.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Chen Han joined Lin Ya and Su Sa in their excavation work.

Three people came to excavate this tomb, and it was indeed a bit too busy, and it would be faster if one more person helped.

"By the way, a grandson of Marquis Zeng has only one coffin and one coffin."

"I heard from my instructor before that the tomb of Marquis Zeng found at the Zaoshulin cemetery only has one coffin and two outer coffins."

"The jujube forest is the cemetery of the nobles of the Zeng State in the middle of the Spring and Autumn Period. We are the cemetery of the nobles of the Zeng State in the late Spring and Autumn Period."

"In that era, the monarchs of other vassal states had already begun to exceed the rules, and they were buried with nine tripods, eight cups, and seven layers of coffins."

"Zeng Guo is very honest, he didn't exceed the rules at all."

Chen Han was amazed.

The tomb of Lord Zengqiu was excavated at the Zaoshulin cemetery before, although he claimed to be Lord Zeng, who was a bit taller than Hou.

But in the use of ritual vessels, it is still very well-behaved.

The ritual utensils for burial are seven tripods and six gui at the princely level, and the coffins used are not even five-fold, only two-fold.

What is this concept?
According to the system regulations of the Zhou Dynasty recorded in "Book of Rites, Tan Gong Shang" and "Sang Da Ji", the coffin of the emperor has four weights, the Shanggong has three weights, princes have another weight, doctors have one weight, and scholars have no weight.

However, this system only lasted until the late Western Zhou Dynasty. After King Ping moved eastward, the princes of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty basically stopped following this ceremony.

Even the Son of Heaven in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty exceeded the system, or it could not be said to exceed the system, but was restructured into the seventh level of the emperor, the fifth level of the princes, the third level of the doctor, and the second level of the scholar.

However, in the remote south, the Ji surname Zeng Guo, who had been enfeoffed since the beginning of the Western Zhou Dynasty, has always strictly abided by the regulations of the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty, and only double-layered coffins were used for burial.

This shows that at least until the middle and late Spring and Autumn Period, the aristocrats of the Zeng State still had their hearts attached to the Zhou royal family, and they still followed all the systems of the Western Zhou Dynasty.

According to modern sayings, Zeng Guo was a conservative among dozens of vassal states in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty!

However, during the Warring States period, when the world entered into a world of chaotic wars, Zeng Guo didn't insist on this anymore.

The tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng was unearthed from the tomb of the emperor with nine tripods and eight gui, and he did not take Zhou rituals seriously.

However, this great-grandson Shao saw that the shape and structure of earthen bronzes should be biased towards the style and style of the late Spring and Autumn Period.

The inner and outer coffins he used were the first level of the doctor in the early Zhou rituals, and the important ritual vessels for burial were also the five tripods and four gui that conformed to the Zhou rituals.

Not only did he clearly show his identity as a doctor, but he was also very courteous and did not overdo it at all.

Unlike Zhao Qing's tomb next door, which belongs to the late Spring and Autumn Period in the Jin Dynasty, the seven tripods that can only be used by princes were unearthed!

You know, Doctor Qing is also a doctor!According to Zhou etiquette, only five tripods and four cups can be buried with him.

But this Zhao Qing, against the disapproval of the world, buried himself with seven tripods and six gui!

But it is understandable to think about it.

This Zhao Qing is Zhao Jianzi (Zhao Yang), the father of Zhao Xiangzi (Zhao Wuxie).

Zhao Jianzi and Zhao Xiangzi are the two big brothers who led and participated in the division of the three families, and they are the ancestors of the Zhao Kingdom!

The state of Jin was in the hands of the two of them, from being the overlord of the uncle state to being conquered by the subordinates and divided up.

Ceremony breaks music and bad music begins in Jin Dynasty!
In that central area where rituals are broken and music is broken, with the ambitions of Zhao Jianzi and Zhao Xiangzi, it is too reasonable for Zhao Xiangzi to give his father the seven tripods that the princes can enjoy when he is buried with him.

Maybe when the father and son were alive, they were using the seven tripods and six guis in an open and honest manner.
In other words, why didn't Confucius come to Zeng Guo to travel around?

The kind of society that Confucius wanted in his heart was a society of self-restraint and restoration of rites, which obviously fit Zeng Guo very well!
If Confucius had come to Zeng State back then, he might have settled down in Zeng State and enjoyed the "Western Zhou style" of Zeng State.

I can tell.

Compared with the official office, which has no influence, the monarch is just a big rubber stamp, and all the power is in the hands of the six ministers of Jin.

Zeng Guo, in a corner of the south, is still not so "ritual and happy".

At least the great-grandson Shao, the Duke of Zeng Guo, is still following the etiquette system of the early Zhou Dynasty.

Zeng Hou is even more so.

This is not an isolated case, and it is proved by the unearthed tombs.

From the middle to late Spring and Autumn Period, Zeng Guodu was still a good country with good etiquette, and it can be said that it was Ji Zhou's last candle.

Unfortunately, this candle lasted until after the Warring States period, and finally went out.

The wheel of the times is destined not to be stopped by a single person or a country.

Facing the conquests of various countries, each of them is king, and the seven kingdoms are fighting for hegemony in a chaotic world.

The former dominant power in the South has no power to resist and reverse this general trend.

"Hey, is this a bird seal?"

An exclamation sounded in the small tomb.

Chen Han, who was busy cleaning a copper gui, looked over when he heard the sound.

In the meantime, Lin Ya was holding a bronze halberd with a cyan to black color in both hands, and walked over.

"Junior Brother Chen, look at the inscription on it, it's obviously not in the same style as the inscriptions on other bronze wares in the tomb!"

"Is this the bird seal of Chu State?"

Chen Han took the bronze halberd and looked at the golden inscription on the halberd.

"Golden Cuo" is a kind of gold decoration craft.

To put it simply, it is to inlay various gorgeous and beautiful patterns, patterns and characters with gold wire or gold flakes on the bronze ware.

This is a casting process that was very common during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.

It can be regarded as a craft upgrade.

After all, thousands of years of characters were engraved on bronze wares during the Shang and Zhou dynasties, so there must be some further exquisite craftsmanship.

"It's the bird seal of Chu State." Chen Han nodded.

The bird seal is a special kind of seal, because the strokes are replaced by bird shapes, so it is particularly easy to recognize.

Just because you recognize it as a bird seal, doesn't mean you can understand its content.

The bird seal, each character looks like a bird, and each bird has a different shape and look.

It was quite difficult for a while to identify the characters.

Fortunately, the bird seal on this bronze halberd is not any complicated characters, but some relatively simple and common characters.

In order to cooperate with Professor Li in examining and interpreting bronze inscriptions recently, Chen Han has read many related books.

Among them, I read a lot of books related to bird seal interpretation in my spare time.

He frowned and stared at the inscription on the halberd, and whispered with some hesitation and uncertainty:

"The use of Prince Wu's son's light?"

(End of this chapter)