Researchers examine ancient tombs from Xizhou dynasty

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On the excavation work at the Western Zhou Dynasty tomb, in Shaanxi’s city of Baoji, experts have been analyzing the only piece of pottery to be unearthed at the site so far. They hope it will provide an essential clue to the identity of the person buried within.

This pottery was found at the north end of the tomb. It’s a pot believed to have been used for cooking rice.

To date, more than 20 bronze wares have been discovered in four out of five sites, at the excavation site in Baoji City. (Photo: people.com.cn)

Archaeologist, Xu Tianjin, says this solitary piece gives us more clues than any item of bronzeware, because bronzeware shares many of the same patterns and shapes as those of different civilisations. If the bronze displays no written script, it’s difficult to identify its source, but the pottery pieces, used as part of daily rituals and routines reflect the character of particular periods in history.

Head of the excavation project Liu Junshe says the piece was unearthed to the west of Baoji city.

Liu said, "Documents we’ve found and oracle bone inscriptions show that the Jiangrong people lived in the Baoji area. This pottery piece helps us infer that the tomb owner may have been of the Jiangrong people."

He says that this was an ethnic tribe at that time. It was a custom of the Jiangrong tribe to enter into marriages with Zhou people. With the help of the Jiangrong and other tribes, the Western Zhou Dynasty removed the Shang Dynasty from power and established itself as a dynasty. Marriages between the two peoples made for a very successful and stable period of history.

Archaeologists say the identity of the person buried in the tomb, however, remains a mystery, and there is no tomb inscription to help solve it.

To date, more than 20 bronze wares have been discovered in four out of five sites, at the excavation site in Baoji City. (Photo: people.com.cn)