Sword In Beijing Tomb Is Archaeological First

China.org.cn ^ | 4-8-2004

[blam]

Sword in Beijing Tomb is Archaeological First

When Chinese archaeologists opened a large multi-chambered Han Dynasty tomb in southern Beijing last week they made some remarkable finds. In particular they discovered a bronze sword notable not only for its excellent workmanship but also for being the first of its kind actually intended for practical use ever to be discovered around the area of the capital.

The brick-built tomb faces south and has one front, two side and two rear chambers. There is a passage to the front. It is some 7 meters long, 5 meters wide and has an overall height of 3.7 meters. Its bricks carry a rope pattern. Above the passage linking the front and rear chambers, two arched “boat roofs” are still well preserved. The archaeologists said that the front chamber would probably once have had a vaulted roof, but grave robbers had destroyed it.

The tomb was the final resting place of perhaps four people with the main occupant in the front chamber. One of the side rooms held skeletal remains with a relatively small cranium, thought to be those of his wife or concubine. However there were just a few bones left in the rear rooms, which were in a state of disorder.

In all the archaeologists recovered nearly 30 burial items from the tomb. There were exquisitely made and well-preserved pottery items with dogs, buffalos, cockerels and human figurines. Judging from the five-zhu coins (the zhu was a unit of weight used in antiquity) that were also found, the tomb can be placed in the later years of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD).

Of all the artifacts, the most attractive is the bronze sword. It is 69 cm long and 2-3 cm wide, with a handgrip extending to about 12 cm. Experts from the Beijing Cultural Relics Research Institute explained that the sword would likely have been worn at the waist on an every-day basis. This was no mere ornament but was clearly intended for use in hand-to-hand combat as can be seen today from its length and keen edge.

The size and style of the tomb together with the quality of the grave goods all point to the conclusion that this was no ordinary person but rather a wealthy individual who had occupied a prominent position in the society of the day. Perhaps he was a warrior.

Previous finds of knives buried alongside the dead in other areas of Beijing were usually just 10 cm long and intended for use in the preparation of bamboo writing slips. They could really only be classified as "stationery items". This is the first time that a useable fighting sword has been found here.

The Han Dynasty witnessed frequent chaos and many wars. In those far-off days the vast north of China was sparsely populated and the common people eked out a living under poor conditions. Their tombs normally had just one or two rooms. A find of such a large tomb with five rooms has rarely been seen before.

(China.org.cn by Li Jinhui, April 8, 2004)

[blam]

More evidence of our wandering kin?

[Fedora]

I find it surprising that the sword was bronze rather than iron or steel, since iron swords were known in China prior to this ("Historical sources indicate that Guo was conquered in 655 BC, and this date is believed to be the terminus ante quem for the graves. Until further information is forthcoming on the iron artefacts and their context we can probably assume that they date between the ninth and seventh centuries BC. An interesting aspect is a possible connection westward, to the vicinity of Baoji, where we shall see that other early iron swords have been found.": The earliest use of iron in China). This makes me question the opinion of the experts cited in the article who state, "This was no mere ornament but was clearly intended for use in hand-to-hand combat as can be seen today from its length and keen edge." Bronze swords are nowhere near as functional in combat as iron or steel ones ("The earliest known swords were made from copper, one of the most common metals available. Copper swords were very soft and dulled quickly. Later on, swords were made from bronze. . .A better sword was developed with the advent of iron.": Gungfu.com Martial Arts Boxing and Resource Center: Swords: The History of Swords). Perhaps the sword was used for religious sacrifices and that's why it has a keen edge. Incidentally, the appearance of iron swords in China c. 655 BC might be a possible indicator of contact with the European Iron Age.

[blam]

" Perhaps the sword was used for religious sacrifices and that's why it has a keen edge."

A ceremonial sword passed down through the generations?

[Fedora]

A ceremonial sword passed down through the generations?

That's an interesting thought which might explain it. In antiquity it was usual to pass swords down as heirlooms. Too bad I don't think you can carbon-date a bronze sword, one way to test that idea would be to compare the date of the sword with the date of the other items on the site where it was found.

[JimSEA]

Getting home late today but I have started reading "The Tarim Mummies". The Han Dynasty ended in about 220 AD and the "knights with long swords" painting from Qizil of 6th Century is quite a time gap but you would think that the "Long Sword" of Bronze when iron metallurgy was advanced, does clearly seem to evoke the Tarim cultures.

[blam]

"The Han Dynasty ended in about 220 AD and the "knights with long swords" painting from Qizil of 6th Century is quite a time gap but you would think that the "Long Sword" of Bronze when iron metallurgy was advanced, does clearly seem to evoke the Tarim cultures."

Illustration #142 page 248. LOL (I'm glad you have the book, enjoy)

Look at the illustration #92 on page 173. That's the image that came to mind when I read this article.

[farmfriend]

Gods, Graves, Glyphs
List for articles regarding early civilizations , life of all forms, - dinosaurs - etc.
Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from this ping list.

[ASA Vet]

Why not just read the date of manufacture stamped in it next toe the "made in China?"

[Hollywoodghost]

"He might have been a warror"
Ya think? Being buried with a sword? What are the odds he was a military man--pretty good.

[Fedora]

Why not just read the date of manufacture stamped in it next toe the "made in China?"

I tried that, but I couldn't read the date because of the Walmart label stamped over it :)

[Henchman]

"side rooms held skeletal remains with a relatively small cranium, thought to be those of his wife or concubine" RIGHT ON!