【文化中国行】武王墩考古重大发现再现楚国礼乐文明

Core Insights - The excavation of the Wuwangdun Tomb in Huainan, Anhui, is the only scientifically excavated Chu royal tomb in China, with significant findings that enhance the understanding of Chu culture and the historical context from the Zhou to Qin-Han periods, concluding in December 2024 [1] Group 1: Archaeological Findings - Over 10,000 artifacts have been unearthed, including a large number of musical instruments, with more than 50 zithers and over 20 sheng and yu, some zithers exceeding 2 meters in length, marking the largest of their kind discovered in China [3] - The discovery of a bamboo ruler measuring approximately 69.4 cm, with clear markings indicating that the Chu measurement of one foot was about 23.1 cm, shows a convergence in measurement standards among states before the Qin unification [3] - The archaeological team has assembled 55 complete divination tortoise shells from over a thousand fragments, marking a new discovery in burial archaeology, with some shells inscribed with the characters "长霝," representing the first physical evidence of "长霝" tortoise shells recorded in literature [5] Group 2: Cultural and Dietary Insights - Analysis of bronze vessels revealed plant remains including plums, gourd seeds, sweet melon seeds, ginger, and jujubes, alongside animal remains such as cattle, pigs, sheep, fish, and birds, indicating that the animal bones had undergone cooking, providing valuable data on the dietary practices of the Chu state [7] - The systematic archaeological findings from the Wuwangdun Tomb vividly illustrate the richness of Chu culture and the continuity of Chinese civilization, with the results set to be exhibited at the National Museum soon [8]