Ancient Chinese historical relics are the crystallization of the wisdom of the ancient people left behind by the precipitation of thousands of years over time. To say that the most mysterious and historical sense of this is the bronze that appeared thousands of years ago!
Bronze ware is the most cumbersome craft in ancient times, the most exquisite finished products of ancient historical relics. In historical records, bronzes have existed since the Shang Dynasty. Simu Pengding, Ma Ta FeiYan, Chimes, etc. are the most eye-catching representatives of the Bronze Age.
Until the later Han Dynasty, the popularization of iron tools made the bronze ware with cumbersome craftsmanship gradually decline, and the swords, wine vessels, sacrificial supplies, etc. used in people's lives were gradually replaced by iron products, but there is still a bronze that has been used for thousands of years.
Bronze mirrors that have been used for thousands of years
China is one of the first countries to use copper mirrors, and it is also one of the countries that have used copper mirrors for the longest time.
From the simple and simple copper mirrors used by women to groom during the Shang Dynasty, to the late Warring States period, copper mirrors were valued, and many craftsmen would decorate the borders or backs of the bronze mirrors with exquisite patterns and inscriptions.
As a result, more and more unique bronze mirrors began to appear, even if the bronze vessels, ornaments, sacrifices, etc. that originally "occupied" the various functions of the territory were replaced by iron tools that were easier to manufacture.
However, the unique and rich bronze mirror began to gradually stand in a higher position, becoming the longest-used protagonist of the Bronze Age.
Until now, in film and television dramas, we can find that no matter which period of costume drama, whether it is a poor family or an imperial relative, girls use bronze mirrors to freshen up and dress.
so far
The earliest bronze mirror found was excavated from the Qi family tomb about 4,000 years ago.
And the latest tombs until the late Qing Dynasty still have exquisite bronze mirrors.
According to incomplete statistics,
Today, there are more than 10,000 bronze mirrors unearthed in the Shanghai Museum alone.
Therefore, the bronze mirror is not a special existence in the mainland, but there is a bronze mirror that is very different and is listed separately for historians and archaeologists to study.
Ancient "black technology"
This bronze mirror with a unique phenomenon studied alone comes from the Western Han Dynasty.
It is the famous "see the light of the sun" mirror.
What is so unique about this mirror? In fact, from the appearance, this bronze mirror is not unusual, and like other excavated bronze mirrors, because there is no good protection measures, when excavated from the tomb, it will be subject to a certain degree of oxidation or even destruction.
The mirror looks a little worn, and there is some pulp, and the mirror surface is not very clear, and it can only illuminate a vague shadow.
The back of the bronze mirror is similar to other bronzes unearthed in the Han Dynasty, with heavy decorations and inscriptions with dynastic symbols.
Looking closely at this mirror, you can find that in the middle of the back of the copper mirror, there is a small protrusion, and this button-sized thing is actually something that people made at that time for ease of use, and can be placed on something similar to a bracket.
A circle around the "button" is also carved fairly spaced"
See the light of the sun, the world is bright"
Eight big words, too
The origin of the name "See the Light of the Sun" mirror
。
The reason why the sun light mirror has such a name is also because this mirror has a strange phenomenon, that is, it can reflect light. We know that the general mirror can see the mirror scene located in front of the mirror, which is because of the natural mirror phenomenon formed by the refraction of light.
However, this strange mirror can reflect the scene on the back of the copper mirror under the light.
For example, if we hold this mirror under the illumination of sunlight or ordinary parallel light, through the light of the mirror on the wall, we can clearly see the pattern behind the copper mirror, and even see clearly
"See the light of the sun, the world is bright"
Eight words.
The principle of this "lens" and the principle of the mirror phenomenon that we see in our daily life seem to be different, and the principle of refraction and reflection of light can only be used to study how the "principle" is, but how to make a mirror form such a phenomenon is really difficult.
Until now, this phenomenon has not been supported by a definite theory after expert research.
Therefore, this bronze mirror was called an artifact in ancient times, and today it is also called "ancient black technology" by experts.
Ancient technology that has always been imitated and never surpassed
Regarding the method of creating this bronze mirror, experts have not had a definite idea. But in fact, in ancient times, maybe people didn't know its principle, but
This technique of making bronze mirrors transparent was not uncommon in the Han Dynasty, but it was lost in the Northern Song Dynasty.
However, later archaeologists found that during the Qing Dynasty, some people also studied this transparent bronze mirror, and they thought that this bronze mirror was caused by uneven surfaces.
Moreover, the pattern pattern and inscription on the back of this bronze mirror will cause some places to be particularly thick because of the seal engraving, and some places are relatively thin, so that different brightness projections can be formed through the reflection of light, which looks like it is transmitted.
But these principles have not been well confirmed, because until now, no one has been able to imitate the exact same bronze mirror.
In fact, not only bronze mirrors, but also many cultural relics and cultures in ancient times, which are difficult for us to achieve in science and technology today.
Just as Qin Shi Huang still used manpower to build the Great Wall, terracotta warriors, etc. without the provision of modern developed science and technology, the ancient Egyptian king Pharaoh built a pyramid that could resist the wind and sand for thousands of years without adhesives, and the ancients only relied on the calculation of the five elements of the Qimen and the replacement of the sun and moon to create a "computer" that could calculate the eclipse of the moon, and even the landing of comets and other strange celestial phenomena.
Although these technologies can now be known to the principles, can be imitated, to imitate, but these things left by the ancients are really insurmountable existence!
Although there is no systematic theoretical system, the wisdom of the ancients is far beyond our imagination. Even if we live in a society with rapid technological development, we have a lot of mastery of superintelligent technology, but
Even a bronze mirror that was used as a daily necessity by the ancients could not be imitated by archaeologists, scientists and even Western experts.
I have to say that the creativity of the ancients is really worth learning!