Figure Bronze cymbal excavated from the taojiaying site.
Figure Bronze Ge excavated from the site of Taojiaying. All are issued by Xinhua News Agency (file photo)
On December 17, the reporter learned from the Anyang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology that after nearly 9 months of archaeological excavations, there have been major discoveries in the archaeology of Huanbei Shangcheng, and the Taojiaying site is speculated to be an important satellite city in the same period in the north of Huanbei Shangcheng because of its large scope, dense distribution of ruins and rich cultural connotations.
The Taojiaying ruins are located in the northeast of Anyang City, 7.2 kilometers away from the ruins of The Yin Ruins Palace in Anyang. Rescue archaeological excavations at the site began in April this year. Exploration found that the taojiaying site is rectangular in plan, about 560 meters long from east to west, about 330 meters wide from north to south, and with a total area of about 185,000 square meters.
"Satellite City is a small city with defensive functions on the outskirts of the main city." Kong Deming, director of the Anyang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, introduced that judging from the stratigraphic relationship and the shape of the excavated artifacts, the site and the Huanbei Shangcheng are the few known ring trench settlement sites in the middle of the Shang Dynasty, and there are remains of ring trenches, tombs, ash pits, pottery kilns, cellars, rammed earth foundation sites, etc., which are a high-specification settlement site with defensive properties. "In the eastern part of the Taojiaying site, archaeologists found a ring trench about 330 meters long from north to south and about 300 meters wide from east to west, indicating that the site is defensive." Kong Deming said.
At present, archaeologists have cleaned up 27 tombs in the middle of the Shang Dynasty, and unearthed 172 pieces of various artifacts, including more than 70 bronzes, including ceremonial tools, weapons, tools, etc.
"These bronzes are exquisitely shaped and distinctive, and can be seen to be integrated with the cultures of the northern grasslands and Shandong and other places in the same period, which greatly improves the lack of bronze culture between the early and late Shang Dynasties." Kong Deming said.
It is understood that in addition to bronze ware, the Taojiaying site has also unearthed a large number of pottery, jade tools, turquoise, bone ware, mussels and so on. Of the 27 tombs excavated in the middle of the Shang Dynasty, except for 2 small sacrificial pits, the rest are located on the northwest side of the south trench, and are distributed in two rows from north to south and in rows from east to west, which is very regular.
To the north of the burial area, there is a production and living area, where remains of pottery kilns, rammed earth foundation sites, wells, ash pits and so on have been found. "The discovery of the site further enriches and perfects the cultural sequence of the early, middle and late Shang Dynasties, and has important archaeological value." Kong Deming said.
In addition, the archaeology of Huanbei Shangcheng has found a large number of bone-making and pottery workshop remains and relics, filling the gap in the mid-Shang Dynasty Capital City Hand Industrial Park, showing superb and unique pottery technology.
From the ruins of Yin Ruins and Huanbei Shangcheng, to the copper casting sites of the late Xindian Shang Dynasty, and then to the newly discovered Taojiaying sites, with the continuous advancement of archaeological work, the scope of the "Dayi Shang" recorded in the oracle bones has been expanding, and the appearance has become clearer.