Master Archaeologist

Chapter 14 The Pit on the Top of the Altar
Qinghai in early September is really not ordinary hot.

Even wearing a sun visor and sun protection sleeves, I can't stand it a bit.

It was only past eleven o'clock in the morning, and the temperature on the construction site was already frighteningly high, with the surface temperature approaching 50 degrees.

Even if Chen Han really loves archeology, his enthusiasm has also retreated in the face of high temperature.

In such hot weather, it is naturally impossible to carry out excavation work at noon.

After eleven o'clock, all the archaeologists and the villagers invited from the village all evacuated the construction site and ran to the temporary mobile board room next to the construction site to escape the heat.

Chen Han and other people from the Institute of Archeology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences also gathered together again, having lunch while having a small internal routine meeting.

Kong Jianwen still looked like the old god was there, looked around, and after making sure everyone was there, he took a few sips leisurely with his teacup in his hand, and then started the meeting leisurely.

"I have some news for you."

"The situation at the Lajia ruins can't be handled by us archaeologists alone."

"The main persons in charge of our various institutes gathered together for a long time to discuss, and also found some relevant proofs."

"Preliminarily, it can be judged that all the human factors including living priests can be ruled out for these bones buried in the Lajia site."

"It is definitely a sudden death, most likely due to natural disasters."

"We found a large amount of red clay at the cleaning site of many houses, which looked very similar to sediment deposits."

"And during the subsequent excavation process, a huge crack was also found on the ground in the F7 house site."

"Many large cracks were also found on the square, on the edge of the altar, and on the edge of the wall."

"It's very puzzling to us."

"The appearance of red clay may represent that the Lajia site has suffered a large-scale flood, possibly a major flood."

"But the cracks on the ground are the marks left by large earthquakes."

"These discoveries have brought our archaeological work to a deadlock. After all, we are not professional geologists, and we have no way to figure out which natural disaster led to the destruction of the Lajia site."

"So the colleagues of the Qinghai Archaeological Institute have already applied for support from the higher authorities."

"Next, a group of geologists will come to Lajia Village to assist us in the follow-up archaeological work and geological work, hoping to uncover the reason for the sudden destruction of the Lajia site."

Speaking of this, Kong Jianwen paused and took another sip of tea.

"However, we have also made great discoveries in archaeological excavations."

"Do you all know the artificial altar found in the north of the small square?"

Facing Kong Jianwen's questioning eyes, everyone present, including Chen Han who was busy cooking, nodded quickly.

The discovery of the altar can be said to be the most important archaeological discovery at the Lajia site in the past month. Whoever dares not know, it means that whoever does not take the work to heart!

No one dares to carry this blame!

"Teacher, is there any heavyweight cultural relic unearthed from the altar?" Chen Han raised his head from the big rice bowl, and asked curiously.

Sure enough, Kong Jianwen nodded with a smile: "In the center of the top of the altar, colleagues from the Qinghai Archaeological Institute discovered a rectangular vertical pit tomb."

"I just discovered it today, and I haven't had time to dig it yet."

"However, the presence of this tomb in the center of the altar is enough to show how special the identity of the owner of the tomb is."

indeed.

Chen Han nodded excitedly, wishing he could rush to the altar to see the tomb right now!
In prehistoric times, no, it should be said that throughout ancient times, "altars" have always been the most important thing in a civilization.

The appearance of the altar means that this civilization has entered the "theological" period, and there is already primitive god worship or ancestor worship.

The older the period, the higher the importance of the altar.

In a Neolithic tribe like this, the "clergy" who usually mastered theology was the supreme leader of the tribe!
And being able to bury the tomb on the altar, the identity of the owner of the tomb is definitely the highest in the tribe. He may be the leader of the tribe, or the "high priest" or "wizard" of the tribe.

Even, this altar may be used to worship the owner of the tomb!

Maybe he is the founder of the Lajia ruins, maybe he is the first generation tribal leader or the first priest of the Lajia ancestors.

In short, the status is absolutely extraordinary.

And in his tomb, there is a high probability that there will be the most important funerary objects in the entire Lajia ruins!

"Teacher, can I go to see the scene?" Chen Han asked impatiently.

Su Sa, Zhuang Yunpeng, and several other young people who were studying Ph.D. with other researchers also looked at Kong Jianwen expectantly.

This may be the most important tomb in the entire Lajia site, and it is the tomb of the leader, Big Brother.

It would be a pity not to visit the excavation site for the first time.

After all, you haven't seen much of the world yet!
Unfortunately, Kong Jianwen shook his head: "The comrades from the Qinghai Archaeological Institute have already carried out excavations there."

"Why do you run over to join in the fun, it will add chaos!"

"Have you discovered all the detectives in your hand?"

"If you are too busy, can I arrange a few more scouts for you?"

Upon hearing this, Zhuang Yunpeng rolled his eyes, a little dissatisfied.

He was not dissatisfied with Kong Jianwen, but dissatisfied with the people of Qinghai Archaeological Institute.

After following the teacher for more than three years, he still knows very well that the teacher is a human being, and it is impossible to be so harsh.

It's probably because the people of Qinghai Archaeological Institute are narrow-minded.

He muttered in a low voice: "The people at Qinghai Archaeological Institute are really stingy, don't they just see that we are from the Academy of Social Sciences, and they are afraid that we will take credit for it."

"Look at the side and you won't lose a piece of meat."

In recent years, especially after 2010, as the talent reserves and staffing of local archaeological institutes have grown, local archaeological institutes have become less and less welcoming to the Institute of Archeology of the Academy of Social Sciences for excavations.

In local terms, they think that people from the Institute of Archeology of the Academy of Social Sciences have come to grab credit.

Because as long as people from the Institute of Archeology of the Academy of Social Sciences go to the local area, they must form a joint archaeological team with the local area.

In this way, half of the corresponding archaeological credit and honor will be shared.

For this archaeological work at the Lajia site, after the Qinghai Institute of Archaeology requested support, the Institute of Archeology of the Academy of Social Sciences and the Qinghai Institute formed a joint archaeological team.

In a sudden change, the Institute of Archeology of the Academy of Social Sciences has become half the owner of the Lajia site.

The remaining archaeological teams from other provinces, cities and museums are just helpers invited by the master.

When the results report is released later, the Institute of Archeology of the Academy of Social Sciences and the Qinghai Institute of Archeology will appear in the column of the reporter.

Other archaeological institutes can only appear in the thank you list.

If you come, you won’t leave, and you have to share the credit. It’s a ghost that the archeology of the Academy of Social Sciences can be liked by the localities.

In particular, among so many archaeological institutions in China, only people from the Institute of Archeology of the Academy of Social Sciences can travel around the country, do research projects, and form joint archaeological teams.

Archaeological institutes in other places can only carry out archaeological work in their own provinces, and even if they want to do some research, they can only do research in their own provinces.

In this way, everyone will not wait to see the people from the Institute of Archaeology, Academy of Social Sciences, that is called envy.

This is the only one in the whole country, and it was granted by the imperial power in ancient times!

Therefore, when people from the Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Social Sciences go to the local area for joint archaeology, they try their best to accommodate the local area in small matters, and they will also make some concessions.

Can't let local comrades feel unbalanced!
"When the excavation of the tomb is almost complete, the situation will naturally let you know. Why are you in such a hurry?"

Kong Jianwen gave Zhuang Yunpeng a sideways look and stopped his complaints.

"Okay, that's the way it is."

"Go to rest after eating, take a nap for a while, and continue digging in the afternoon."

"Dismiss!"

(End of this chapter)