Archaeologists have recently made a remarkable discovery in the Henan Province of Central China, uncovering a total of 24 well-preserved bianzhong, which are Chinese chime bells. This significant find dates back to more than 2,000 years ago, during the Spring and Autumn Period (770BC-476BC). The Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology conducted the excavation, which took place in the ruins of an ancient city from the Spring and Autumn Period, located near Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan. The bianzhong set was unearthed in a sacrificial pit close to the remnants of a palace.
Historian Guan Ping explained that the bianzhong are symbolic of rank and power and are a representation of the high level of achievement in both art and culture during ancient China. They were utilized in the kingdom palace as part of the ritual system. The discovery of these bells will assist experts in analyzing the cultural evolution during the Spring and Autumn Period and the subsequent Warring States Period.
Yu Jie, a staff member at the Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, described the dimensions of the sacrificial pit where the bianzhong were found. It measures 2.6 meters in length from east to west, 1.4 meters in width from north to south, and 0.8 meters in depth. Inside the pit, there are three rows of bell frames, holding a total of 24 chime bells. Remarkably, the chime bells are in a well-preserved state, showing no signs of looting, and the wooden frame is clearly discernible. Yu added that the frame could be dated back to the middle and late stages of the Spring and Autumn Period.
Additionally, the archaeologists discovered two tombs near the area of the palace ruins. These tombs are vertical pits, and inside them, complete bronze ritual vessels were excavated. Yu noted that the tombs likely belonged to high-ranking individuals, as this is the first time tombs of this kind have been discovered in the ancient city. The well-preserved state of the findings grants them significant academic value.
The music of China’s bianzhong originated over 3,000 years ago. A bianzhong set comprises dozens of bronze bells of varying shapes and scales, suspended in a wooden frame and struck with a mallet to produce melodies. Music played a crucial role in ancient China, as it was intimately connected to rituals and was an essential component of the ritual and music system that maintained social order. Guan explained that the Zhou Dynasty (1046BC-256BC) was the first dynasty to establish rules for rites and music, using sets of instruments in ceremonies, galas, and performances. The varying sizes of the bells and the different forces applied by the performer to strike them resulted in different tunes.
Over the past few decades, bianzhong have been discovered in several regions of China. One of the most famous discoveries occurred in 1978 inside the tomb of the aristocrat Yi of Zeng in Suizhou, Hubei Province. The bells from this discovery, which are inlaid with gold and feature a total of 3,755 characters, gained worldwide recognition. In 2013, this set was included in the Order Prohibiting the Export of Valuable Cultural Relics of China. Another bianzhong set was discovered near Yi’s tomb in 1981.
The ancient city ruins where the recent discovery took place span an area of 16 square kilometers. In 2017, this area was designated as a National Archaeological Ruins Park. Since then, excavations have been conducted, revealing a well-defined structure of the city during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. This has provided invaluable materials for research in areas such as burial and defense systems.