This morning (14th), the National Cutural Heritage Administration held an online conference in Beijing, at which it announced that the Great Tomb of Bailuyuan River Village in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province is the tomb of Emperor Han Wen. Whether viewed from the ground level or from the sky with a drone, it is impossible to see a large tomb here. It has entered the sight of archaeologists, starting from a tomb robbery case many years ago.
In 2002, an auction in the United States brought the Jiangcun Tomb to the attention of Chinese archaeologists for the first time. Six Western Han black pottery figurines stolen from here have appeared in the auction catalog of Sotheby’s in the United States and are about to be auctioned off. Our government has made timely negotiations through diplomatic channels. coming. Entrusted by the National Cutural Heritage Administration, I answered 11 questions raised by Sotheby’s. Why do I say it is Chinese? Why is it from Shaanxi? Why is it said to be from the Western Han Dynasty? And so on, similar issues.
After multiple efforts, these six pottery figurines returned to Xi’an in 2003. Subsequently, relevant departments conducted an investigation into the origin of these six pottery figurines and ultimately determined that they were excavated by tomb raiders from the ancient tomb in Jiangcun.
Zhang Xiangyu, Vice President of Xi’an Archaeological Research Institute: At that time, there were two stolen caves, and once the wheat was harvested, it was very clear. Later, they could see it on satellite images.
In 2006, after confirming that these pottery figurines came from the ancient tomb in Jiangcun, archaeologists conducted an archaeological investigation here. The exploration results surprised the archaeologists, as there was a large sub shaped tomb hidden here with four burial paths. So, who is the owner of this great tomb?
Researcher Ma Yongying from the Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology: At that time, some scholars believed that it might be the tomb of Dou Taizhu, who was accompanying the tomb of Ba Ling. Dou Taizhu is actually the daughter of Empress Dou and Emperor Wen of Han, with a relatively high status. Historical records clearly indicate that she was buried with the tomb of Ba Ling, and it was suspected at the time that it was her tomb.
Further archaeological exploration has revealed that the total length of the east-west tomb passage of Jiangcun Tomb is 250 meters, which is considered a top-level configuration in terms of tomb shape and surpasses that of princesses and even princes.
Researcher Ma Yongying from the Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology: In ancient society, the “ya” character was actually mainly used by emperors. The side length of the tomb is over 70 meters, and the eastern tomb passage is over 100 meters. In addition to the emperor’s tomb, the others include the princes, who are also 30 to 50 meters, or 60 meters.
Although some speculate that the Jiangcun Tomb may be the tomb of Emperor Wen of Han, it is generally believed that the tomb of Emperor Wen of Han is located at Fenghuangzui, two kilometers north of the Jiangcun Tomb, according to relevant records and research since the Yuan Dynasty. Without conclusive evidence, no one can say that the Jiangcun Tomb is the tomb of Emperor Wen of Han.
Archaeologist Jiao Nanfeng: We have a rule in archaeology,.You need to have questions, and when you want to publish your article, you must have a series of evidence. The thought in my heart may be that this is Ba Ling. In fact, the conclusion was clear to everyone at that time, but it needs to be confirmed through a series of work.