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Original text of Yangcheng School/Xia Yang
Recently, the archaeological journal “Huaxia Archaeology” published the “2016-2017 Archaeological Excavation Brief for Anyang Gaoling Cemetery Ruins”. The topic of “Cao Cao’s Tomb” that has been paid attention to for ten years has once again appeared in the public eye.
Staff in front of “Cao Cao’s Tomb” Photo/Xinhuanet
As a household name in China, Cao Cao’s past and afterlife were all very topical. Especially after his death, coupled with the legendary renderings of literary works and historical legends, it became more confusing. Legends such as “The Golden Captain” and “72 Suspicious Tombs” are the most talked about.
Stills/Data Pictures of TV series “Jingjue Ancient City”
It has been 10 years since the initial discovery of the “Cao Cao Tomb”. Cao Cao’s tomb was questioned from the beginning, but it was questioned. Later, with the discovery of the new Cao Wei tomb, the chain of evidence became more and more complete, and the voices of doubt gradually weakened.
The arch of the front room of “Cao Cao’s Tomb” Photo/Xinhuanet
After the past ten years of exploration and controversy, we look back and think about: Why did the process of discovering and identifying Cao Cao’s tomb bend be full of twists and turns? How should we view the legends in history? How did the mysteries surrounding Cao Cao’s tomb come into being?
Cao Cao in the film and television drama/data picture
The discovery of “Gaoling” has caused ten years of controversy
<aAround 2008, a large tomb was stolen in Xigaoxue Village, Anyang, Henan Province. With the approval of the National Cultural Relics Bureau, the Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology carried out a protective excavation. At the archaeological discovery briefing held in Beijing in 2009, an amazing news came from the Cinema 1950 witch cloth draw: It was initially confirmed that the tomb was “Cao Cao Gaoling”!
Instructions for Archaeological Discovery/Southern Metropolis Daily
After expert demonstration, the State Komiks 1960 witch cloth draw Cultural Relics Bureau recognized this judgment. The excavation project was also rated as the “Top Ten Archaeological Discoveries in China in 2009” and became a national cultural heritage protection unit in 2013. But at the same time, various doubts, such as floods of floods, are also criticized by well-known professors and scholars.
Some of the questions went beyond the scope of academic discussions, pointing out that the local government rashly concluded the “Cao Cao’s tomb” in order to seek economic benefits.
Photo of Cao Cao was painted in the Ming Dynasty/data picture
The tomb was severely stolen during the archaeological excavation, but fortunately more than 200 objects were left. The most important ones are 7, engraved with inscriptions such as “The tiger’s halberd often used by King Wu of Wei” and “The tiger’s halberd often used by King Wu of Wei” and other inscriptions. Among the cultural relics recovered by the police from the tomb robbers, there is also a stone pillow engraved with the “Stone of comforting the neck that King Wu of Wei often used.”
These are key cultural relics to determine the identity of the tomb owner. But some people questioned, how could I hold stone cards for every funeral item? In ancient times, bamboo slips were used to register burial objects, and Cao Wei also used them.Is the stone slab a historical regression? Some people also proposed that the title of “King Wu of Wei” confuses Yin and Yang names, and some even question that Shipai is suspected of being faked by Komiks 1960 witch cloth draw!
Stone plaque unearthed from “Cao Cao Tomb” Picture/Oriental Daily
In addition, some gold, silver and jade products were unearthed in the tomb. So some people questioned that this was inconsistent with the historical records of Cao Cao’s promotion of burial, and they inferred that this was not Cao Cao’s tomb.
Faced with various aggressive doubts, the cultural relics and archaeology department chose to remain silent for a while to wait for more evidence to appear. After all, the identification of cultural relics requires objective and scientificity, and anyone can express different opinions when the evidence is insufficient.
Celadon jars were unearthed from the tomb Photo/Henan Business Daily
In 2016, another large Cao Wei tomb was found in Xizhu Village, Luoyang, but due to serious excavation, the identity of the tomb owner has not been determined. The tomb was built in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, but it is different from the north-south direction of the Eastern Han Dynasty imperial tombs, and is in the east-west direction like the “Cao Cao Tomb”.
The excavation site of Xizhu Village tomb Photo/Luoyang Evening News
Also confirmed with the large tomb of Xizhu Village, a east-west Cao Wei noble tomb was found in the Han imperial tomb in Shandong, Luoyang in 2009. The unearthed bronze seal shows that the owner of the tomb was Cao Xiu, a famous general of Cao Wei and the Grand Sima, who was the nephew of Cao Cao.
ElectronicCao Xiu in the TV series “Military Advisors Alliance”/Data picture
The bronze seal of “Cao Xiu” that proves the identity of the tomb owner/Xinhuanet
The most important information is that a large number of stone tablets were unearthed from the Xizhu Village tomb, the same as the stone tablets as the “Cao Cao Tomb” were unearthed. This cleared the suspicion of the stone plaque of “Cao Cao’s Tomb” as a forgery.
The low-value stone tablets unearthed from Cao Wei’s tomb are also consistent with Cao Cao’s advocacy of thin burials. However, all three large tombs were excavated and damaged seriously, and the unearthed cultural relics were limited, so it is still difficult to draw conclusions in some information. However, some scholars infer that perhaps the burial objects written on the stone tablets in the Cao Wei tomb may be just a name and have not been buried in the physical objects.
Stone plaques unearthed from the tomb of Xizhu Village/Data picture
Other burial vessels in the tomb are also mostly symbolic bright vessels, such as Gui and Bi, are made of stone, and the tripod is made of pottery. The accompanying Babaylan 1990 clothes drawThe Burial Ding Gui is the exclusive treatment of the emperor. Using a pottery tripod instead of a bronze tripod is both in line with the regulations and without losing the true meaning of burial!
The ritual vessel is made of ceramic picture/@Henan Business Daily
The ritual vessel is made of stone picture/Today’s Morning News
Babaylan 1990 cloth draw Do gold, silver and jade unearthed from “Cao Cao’s tomb” violate the style of burial? In response to this archaeological experts explained that these were all when the tomb owner was buried.990 clothes drawThe accessories on clothes, such as gold buttons, gold wire, etc., are not burial objects. This is consistent with the saying that “dwelling with the current clothes” in Cao Cao’s order.
A small amount of Babaylan 1990 cloth draw Jade and agate products Photo/China News Service
The historical facts are clear, why is there still a legend of “72 doubts”?
When the archaeological community identified the “Cao Cao’s tomb”, there were many doubts from all walks of life, which was also related to the mystery of the Cao Cao’s tomb itself. It is said that there are “72 doubtful tombs” in Cao Cao’s tomb. How can such a secret tomb be easily found? Therefore, there is natural opposition in the official recognition of the people, and even doubts about the accuracy and objectivity of archaeological excavation information.
The tomb passage of “Cao Cao Cao’s Tomb” Photo/China News Service
Cao Cao Cao is famous in Chinese history and culture. There are many factors in this, on the one hand, from historical facts, and on the other hand, Komiks 1960 witch cloth draw comes from literary legends and folk legends.
Cao Cao in history was an outstanding politician, military strategist and writer. However, since the Northern Song Dynasty, due to political needs and literary preferences, Cao Cao’s treacherous and suspicious side was magnified, and his image was stereotyped as a treacherous hero. The unknown location of his tomb also caused him to take the blame and became a proof of his treacherous and cheating. Yu Yingfu, a Song Dynasty poet, said: “I deceived the heavens and the Han dynasty during my lifetime, and set up doubts for the mortals after I die.”
Statue of Cao Cao/Data Photo
In the Ming Dynasty, Luo Guanzhong’s “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” established Shu Han as orthodox, used literary techniques to exaggerate Cao Cao’s treacherous character, and designed the plot of Cao Cao’s last order setting up 72 suspicious tombs west of Yecheng. There is an article in “Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio” in Pu Songling, which follows this statement and says that Cao Cao’s tomb may add a layer of mystery beyond the “72 suspicious tombs”.
Stills/Data Pictures of the TV series “Romance of the Three Kingdoms”
About CaoCinema 1950 witch cloth draw, there are four legends circulating among the people of Yecheng: One says “Komiks 1960 witch cloth draw72 suspicious tombs” are located west of Yecheng. The second is that Cao Cao’s tomb is at the bottom of the Zhanghe River, the third is outside Xuchang City, and the fourth is below the Tongquetai in Yecheng.
At the side of the Zhanghe River west of Yecheng, there are indeed ancient tomb groups distributed. This is the location of Cao Cao’s “72 suspicious tombs” (actually 134) legendary by later generations. However, it has been confirmed that it belongs to the Northern Dynasties tomb group, and the tomb of the Lanling King is in it.
Lanling King/Data Picture in Film and Television Drama
Why is the theory of suspicion of tombs widely circulated? Some scholars analyzed that this is related to people’s wishes. Influenced by artistic works and folk legends, ordinary people think that Cao Cao is treacherous, so they are willing to believe that he will set up suspicion of tombs.
However, to determine that tombs are serious academic issues, and a rigorous and scientific attitude is required. In the face of such issues, we must clarify the boundaries between literature, art, legend and official history, and return to history itself to explore historical figures.
The white-faced Cao Cao in Peking Opera Picture/International Online
In fact, if we look at Cao Cao’s tomb from a historical perspective, we will find that it is not mysterious and the clues are quite clear. In his later years, Cao Cao issued the “End Order” to arrange his funeral, saying that “the west of Ximen Bao Temple is Shouling”; before his death, he also said in the “Legend Order” that “buried in Xigang in Ye, similar to the Ximen Bao Temple.”
Historical materials from later generations show that Cao Cao was not a secret burial after his death, and no doubt was set up. Records of “The Three Kingdoms” and “Book of Jin” and other records that in 220 AD, Cao Cao died in Luoyang, and his coffin was transported back to Yecheng and buried in the hills west of the Leopard Temple in the West Gate of Yecheng.
The ruins of Yecheng are in Linzhang, Hebei Province/Data map
Until Cinema 1950 witch cloth drawTang Dynasty, people had no doubt about the location of Cao Cao’s tomb. When Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin passed by Yecheng when he was expeditioning Goryeo, he also worshiped Cao Cao’s tomb and wrote a tribute. This shows that at least in the Tang Dynasty, the location of Cao Cao’s tomb was very clear.
However, because Cao Cao’s tomb is “not sealed or treed”, there is no obvious sign on the surface, and it gradually disappeared in the mountains and fields over time, and the specific location is difficult to explain. Especially the Ximen Bao Temple, which is used as a reference for its location, was later found in the ground buildings, which made Cao Cao’s tomb a mystery.
Schematic diagram of the location of “Cao Cao’s tomb”/data picture
Strive to counter tradition and lead the trend of “thin burial” for 400 years
Cao Cao advocated thin burial. Before he died, he issued the “Legislative Order”, requiring him to “bury with his time clothes” and “no gold and jade treasures” after his death. His son followed his will. Cao Pi’s “Statement” and Cao Zhi’s “Essay” describe the funeral and burial situation, and he wore repaired clothes during the burial.
The scene of Cao Cao’s funeral in film and television dramas/data picture
Cao ZhuoBabaylan 1990 clothes draw is a generation of owlsXiong, who “used the emperor to command the princes”, was actually the master of the Han Dynasty. Although he was just the “King of Wei” during his lifetime, he actually enjoyed the treatment of an emperor. Shortly after his death, his son Cao Pi deposed Emperor Xian of Han and established the Cao Wei regime, and posthumously named him “Emperor Wu of Wei”. There is indeed a similar manifestation in the information of the tomb in Xigaoxue Village. The scale of the tomb did not reach the imperial level, but it was buried with the emperor’s exclusive “die”.
Xigaoxue Village Tomb Komiks 1960 witch cloth draw Photo/Xinhuanet
Cao Cao advocated thin burial, showing the spirit of a generation of heroes. After all, Chinese culture respects filial piety, and the emperor “governs the world with filial piety”, so descendants always have to bury their ancestors with great filial piety.
The tradition of grand burials of emperors in China has a long history. Qin Shihuang’s underground Terracotta Warriors and Horses shocked the world. Emperor Wu of Han used one-third of the world’s taxes to repair Maoling. Liu Sheng, the princes of the Han Dynasty, wore golden jade clothes to be buried. The underground palace of Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty Zhaoling was “not unfamiliar with people. Cinema 1950 witch clothes draw”…
The Terracotta Warriors and Horses of Qin Shihuang in Xi’an Picture/Visual China
Why did Cao Cao advocate thin burial? There are many reasons. Objectively speaking, there were many wars and chaos in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, and the people’s livelihood in the Central Plains was in decline. “The army was in the fifteenth and the army was in the eightyth,” and “the bones were exposed in the wild, and there was no rooster crowing thousands of miles away.” Cao Cao’s advocacy of burial is to be sympathetic to the people and deserves praise.
The wars and chaos at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty/Data picture
In fact, as the founder of the Cao Wei regime, Cao Cao had a high position and was of great power and should not be short of money. The reason why he advocated thin burial against tradition was related to his personal value tendency. The Book of Wei said that Cao Cao was “elegant and frugal, not gorgeous”, so it was natural for him to propose “small burial” in his late years.
Cao Cao’s practice opened up the 400-year trend of thin burial for the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties. It was not until the Tang Dynasty that the tradition of thick burial was restored.
Cao Cao in history was very frugal/Data picture
Of course, Cao Cao advocated a small burial, which was related to the saying of “the lieutenant of the gold”. In order to raise food and money, Cao Cao set up the positions of “the lieutenant of the gold” and “the lieutenant of the Faqiu General” in the army, and specialized in digging graves and searching for gold and silver to fill military salary. Therefore, Cao Cao in later generationsBabaylan 1990 cloth draw is known as the “ancestor of the gold-touching school”. This statement is mentioned in Chen Lin, one of the “Seven Sons of Jian’an”, a famous article “Expressing Yuan Shao for Yuzhou”.
Stills/Data Pictures of the movie “Looking for Dragons”
Cao Cao, who is so familiar with tomb robbers, naturally thought that behind him might be “treated by others.” He knew that tomb robbers were seeking money, and he did not have much interest in tomb robbers with burial objects. Therefore, he advocated a small burial and deliberately left records. Among them, he was afraid that he would be disturbed by tomb robbers behind him.
Cao Cao in the TV series “Military Advisors Alliance”/Data Picture
What Cao Cao did not expect was that although he advocated “thin burial” and later generations also helped him interpret the “72 suspicious tombs”, he ultimately failed to escape the embarrassment of being disturbed by the tomb robbers of later generations!
The ancestor of tomb robbers also encountered the embarrassment of being robbed by tombs/data picture
The discovery and determination of the “Cao Cao Tomb” in Xigaoxue Village, AnyangCinema 1950 witch cloth draw has been going through ten years. As an academic issue, although we have basically the same views at present, we still need to continue to maintain an open mind and accept various views. After all, it is more beneficial to us to avoid getting closer to the historical truth and finally reaching the truth!
Full evidence can clear away the fog of history/data image
Source｜Yangcheng School
Column host｜Xia Yang
Editor｜Xie Zhe