Sanxingdui has been scratching the heads of archaeological and historical enthusiasts since its discovery in the 1930s.
The ruins on the edge of the Yazi River in Guanghan, Sichuan cover an area of 12 square kilometers, and the age ranges from around 2800 BC to 1100 BC, spanning several cultural periods.
First it was Baodun culture, then Sanxingdui culture ontology, and then to Shierqiao culture. The bronze masks, bronze trees, golden rods and other unearthed from the No. 1 and No. 2 sacrificial pits in 1986 directly shocked the world. Everyone began to realize that the ancient Shu Kingdom was not a small tribe, but had its own developed bronze civilization.
In 2021, a new round of excavations will be dug out six more sacrificial pits, with more things inside, and mountains of gold, jade and ivory. A golden axe-shaped instrument in Pit No. 5 directly led the topic to the history of King Wu of Zhou's attack on Zhou.
Why? Because this thing looks too much like the "Huang Yue" mentioned in ancient books.
Huang Yue is an axe decorated with gold, symbolizing royal power, which is not something that ordinary people can touch during the Shang and Zhou dynasties. When King Wu Jifa attacked King Zhou of Shang, he was holding such a thing in his hand. If the golden axe of Sanxingdui is really the yellow axe, or if it has anything to do with it, it will be lively, which is equivalent to tightening the connection between ancient Shu and the Central Plains.
The official excavation of this site was led by Ge Weihan from the West China University Museum in 1934, and he dug out hundreds of jade tools. But the real explosion was in 1986. Thousands of cultural relics were unearthed from the two sacrificial pits. Bronze ware occupies the largest head, such as bronze erected man, vertical eye mask, and sacred tree. These things have strange shapes, with protruding eyes and elongated ears, which do not look like the Central Plains style, but their craftsmanship is extremely high.
There are also gold objects, such as gold masks, golden rods, and thin gold foil wrapped in bronze or wood, indicating that the ancient Shu people had developed metallurgical technology. Experts analyzed that the peak of Sanxingdui culture was around 1600 BC to 1200 BC, which corresponds to the late Shang Dynasty in the Central Plains. The wide distribution of pottery and jade unearthed in the site proves that the ancient Shu society was stratified and the sacrificial activities were frequent at that time.
The pits are not tombs, but specialized in sacrificial supplies. The things inside are smashed or burned, which may be a way to deal with them after the ceremony.
The golden axe-shaped instrument was dug out from the pit No. 5, and was located at the bottom of the pit. The exposed part was 7 cm long, 5 cm wide, and more than 3 mm thick. The total length was estimated to be 15 cm. The edge is arc-shaped, with three parallel grooves on the surface, and the middle still has green traces, which may be the original inlaid jade or turquoise.
Compared with the goldware in Sanxingdui in the past, this one is particularly thick. Most of the other goldware is thin and less than 1 mm thick, and is used for decoration. This independent tool has a strong sense of weight. The archaeological team said it is the world's earliest golden axe cultural relic.
In Sanxingdui, there were not many gold products. In the past, gold rods, gold masks, golden phoenixes and other things were all thin gold foil, which was highly symbolic. This piece is thick and may be a dual function of practical rituals. Experts speculate that it is not a weapon used for war, but a scepter or ritual vessel. The holder has a high status and is probably at the level of a king or priest.
Shuowen Jiezi says, "point is a big axe", and point is the ancient way of writing yexu. The axe evolved from the axe, larger than the ordinary axe and wider the blade. During the Shanghai and Zhou dynasties, it was mostly made of bronze, and weapons and ritual vessels. Many bronze axes were unearthed from the Shanghai Dynasty tombs, and the blades were decorated with cloud and thunder patterns, which were used to cut and kill and show off their power. Etiquette was emphasized more in the Zhou Dynasty, and jade axes and stone axes were more common in funerals.
Huang Yue specifically refers to gold decoration, with a golden color, symbolizing supreme power. It was first recorded in "Shangshu Mu Yu". Before the Battle of Muye, King Wu of Zhou said, "The king held a yellow stick on his left and a white flag on his right," which means holding a yellow axe in his left hand and a white flag in his right hand to command the army.
Another record is recorded in "Records of the Grand Historian" and "Shu Yi Zhou". After King Wu won, he used Huang Yue to chop off King Zhou's head and hang it for public display. After King Zhou set himself on fire, King Wu shot three arrows and then beheaded with Huang Yue, symbolizing just judgment. Huang Yue is not only a tool to cut people, but also a thing like a military talisman, representing the power of command.
References
Vibrant China Research Tour丨Sanxingdui Museum: Ancient civilizations bring new vitamin to cultural and tourism Xinhuanet
