Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s Mausoleum Site Museum
"Imperial Road·Longdong Memory: Qin Culture and Western Rong Culture Archaeological Achievements Exhibition" is hosted by Gansu Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau and Shaanxi Cultural Relics Bureau, and undertaken by Qin Shihuang Mausoleum Museum. The exhibitors include: Gansu Provincial Museum, Gansu Provincial Cultural Relics and Archaeological Research Institute, Li County Museum, Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology, Zhangjiachuan Hui Autonomous County Museum. There are a total of more than 300 exhibits in 128 groups. The exhibition opened on January 7, 2016 and lasted for 3 months.
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"Imperial Road·Longdong Memory: Exhibition of Archaeological Achievements of Qin Culture and Western Rong Culture" shows the results of early Qin cultural archaeological investigation and research. The early Qin cultural archaeological investigation and research project is an important sub-project of the "Chinese Civilization Discovery Project". It was approved and implemented by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage in 2004, organized and coordinated by the Gansu Provincial Cultural Heritage Bureau, led by the Gansu Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, and Shaanxi Institute of Archaeology , The School of Archaeology and Cultural Sciences of Peking University, the Department of Integrated Archaeology of the National Museum, and the School of Cultural Heritage of Northwest University and other units jointly formed a joint archaeological team. Over the past ten years, systematic archaeology has been carried out in the upper reaches of the Western Han River and Qingshui River, the main activity area before the Qin entered the Central Plains. The investigation revealed that nearly 70 ancient sites and ancient tombs related to the early Qin culture were newly discovered, and three early central activity areas were identified; Dabaozi Mountain and Xishan in Duili County, Majiayuan in Zhangjiachuan County, Maojiaping in Gangu County, and Qingshui County Li Ya and other important sites have been scientifically excavated, and a number of important academic results have been obtained. Among them, the archaeological excavation project of Dabaozishan site and Majiayuan site has obtained the top ten new archaeological discoveries in the country; a series of important archaeological reports, monographs, and research articles After being published and published, major breakthroughs have been made in topics such as the origin of the Qin people, the burial system of early Qin people, and the origin of Qin culture and other cultures, forming new academic hotspots.
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Among them, the inscription pip bell unearthed from the tomb of Qin Gong at the Dabaozishan site in Li County, the "Ziche" Tongge unearthed at the Maojiaping site in Gangu County, the tiger pattern gold ornaments unearthed at the Liuping site in Qingshui County, and the Liya site in Qingshui County The unearthed building components are of great value to show the development context of Qin culture. In particular, the vehicles, carriages and horse ornaments unearthed at the Majiayuan site in Zhangjiachuan Hui Autonomous County are exquisite, luxurious and beautiful. They are a vivid portrayal of Qin’s economic and social development and ethnic relations. They are highly ornamental and shocking.
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Editor: Sun Zhenying
An Excavation Report consists of eight parts including the foreword, the postword, and the appendix, telling the whole story about the discovery and excavation of the Qin dynasty bronze chariotsand horses, their structure, shape and names, driving system and driving methods, manufacturing techniques, as well as the Qin dynasty ceremonial system, with the help of a great number of illustrations and photos, color and black-and-white. It feeds us with important data about the ancient Chinese system on carriages.
I. Excavation of the Bronze Chariots and Horses
Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor in feudal China, was born in 259 B.C. and died in 210 B. C. He was buried at the foot of Mount Li Shan to the east of Lintong County, Xi’an, his mausoleum being the largest and the richest in burial objects among Chinese imperial tombs. After the discovery of three pits of terra—cotta warriors and horses at the east side of the mausoleum in 1974, two sets of bronze chariots and horses were found to its west in 1978.
The pit, 7. 8 m underground, is roughly in the shape of “ Ff? ” , being 55 In both from south to north and from east to west. With the approval of China Relics Preservation Bureau, a trial excavation was carried out in 1980, unearthing two sets of bronze chariots and horses which stood in a line within a wood case, facing the west. The 2.2—meter high case was 7 m long from east to west, 2.3 m wide from south to north. Buried under rammed soil, the chariots were crashed into pieces due to the collapse of the thick wooden container, yet, fortunately, the parts were just where they had been. After 8 years of effort, they were fully restored.
The exquisite chariots and horses, half the size of the real ones, were realistic in every detail. Each chariot was assembled with many parts. The analysis show the material mainly being bronze, with some gold and silver decorations. Chariot No. 1 weighs about 1061 kg, while No. 2 about 1241 kg, each with some 7 kg of gold and silver pieces. A copy of the emperor’s Chariots when he was still alive, these painted chariots were designed for the emperor to use after his death. They are the largest, the most ancient, and the most richly and beautifully decorated chariots and horses ever found in China, thus the name “Bronze of bronze.”