An intriguing archaeological discovery has recently taken place in Pingguo, a city located in South China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. A tomb hailing from the historical era of the Warring States Period (475BC-221BC) has been found, shedding new light on this key period in China’s long and storied past.
The tomb was found to contain numerous invaluable artifacts, a testament to the prosperity and cultural richness of the era it hails from. Noteworthy among these finds was a jade ring and a jade jue – an ornate decoration resembling a modern earring. In addition to these jade pieces, several other bronze relics were discovered.
The centerpiece of the excavation, however, was an antique bronze drum. Dated by archaeologists as predating the Warring States Period, the drum boasts a unique style, referred to as “Shizhai Shan”. The drum takes its name from an ancient tomb cluster found in Shizhai Shan, located in Kunming, Southwest China’s Yunnan Province, according to Zhang Qianyue, a renowned expert in Warring States Period archaeology.
The Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region has not witnessed a find of this magnitude and significance in many years, remarked Jiang Yanyu, the President of the Chinese Ancient Bronze Drum Research Society. The Shizhai Shan drum style is often characterized by its detailed engravings, such as saw tooth and diamond patterns. Zhang further elaborated that the intricate design of the drum exemplifies the ingenuity and refined aesthetic tastes of ancient Chinese society.
Archaeological technician, Xie Guangxue, detailed the care taken with the drum. “The bronze drum was discovered buried upside down. We carefully packed it up and transported it to the local museum, with plans for its restoration and further study in a laboratory setting,” he explained.
In tandem with the Shizhai Shan drum, a bronze spear and an ancient yue, a tool typically used as an axe by ancient Chinese, were unearthed. The bronze yue is estimated to be over a thousand years old.
Outside the parameters of the tomb, the excavation team made yet another significant discovery – a large square pit, measuring 10 meters by 10 meters. The pit yielded Neolithic stone tools and fragments of ancient porcelain, offering another layer of historical intrigue to this fascinating archaeological find.
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