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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 Gaozuo Mausoleum 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 TombsBabaylan” are the most talked about.
TV seriesKomiks Stills/Data Pictures
It is now 10 years since the initial discovery of the “Cao Cao Cao’s Tomb” was officially recognized, 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 film and television dramas/data picture
The discovery of “Gaoling” has caused ten years of controversy
Around 2008, a large tomb in Xigaoxue Village, Anyang, Henan Province was stolen. With the approval of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, the Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology carried out a protective excavation. At the archaeological discovery briefing held in Beijing in 2009, the tomb was initially confirmed to be “Cao Cao Gaoling”!
Instructions for Archaeological Discovery/Southern Metropolis Daily
After experts’ demonstration, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage 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 are like floods, and there are also criticisms from well-known professors and scholars.
Some of these doubts go beyond the scope of academic discussions, pointing out that the local government “falsed” with archaeologists in order to seek economic benefits and recklessly href=”https://comicmov.com/”>Babaylan “Cao Cao’s Tomb” is concluded.
Photo of Cao Cao was painted in the Ming Dynasty/data picture
The tomb was severely robbed during archaeological excavation, but fortunately more than 200 artifacts were left. The most important ones were engraved with inscriptions such as “The tiger’s halberd often used by King Wu of Wei” and “The tiger’s short spear often used by King Wu of Wei” and other inscriptions. Police from tomb robbers<a Among the cultural relics recovered in BabaylanThere is also a stone engraved with the “Comfort Stone that King Wu of Wei often uses”.
These are key cultural relics to determine the identity of the tomb owner. BabaylanBut some people questioned how to hang stone cards for each burial object? In ancient times, bamboo slips were used to register burial objects, and Cao Wei also used stone tablets. Could it be that history was reversed? Some people proposed the title of “King Wu of Wei” to mix the Yin name and Yang name, evenSome people questioned that the stone tablet was suspected of being faked!
Stone unearthed from the “Cao Cao Tomb” is pictured/Oriental Daily
In addition, some gold, silver and jade products are also 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.
Cao Xiu/Data Picture in the TV series “Military Advisors Alliance”
The bronze seal of “Cao Xiu” proving the identity of the tomb owner/XinhuanetCinema
The most important information is that a large number of stone plaques that are the same as the “Cao Cao Tomb” stone plaques were unearthed in the Xizhu Village tomb. This cleared away the suspicion of the “Cao Cao Tomb” stone plaques as forged.
The low-value stone plaques unearthed from the Cao Wei tomb are also consistent with Cao Cao’s advocacy of thin burials. However, all three tombs were excavated and damaged seriously, and the unearthed cultural relics were limited, so it is difficult to draw conclusions. However, some scholars infer that perhaps the burial objects written on the stone plaques in the Cao Wei tomb may be just a name and are not buried.
Stone plaques unearthed from the tomb of Xizhu Village/data picture
Other burial vessels in the tomb are mostly symbolic bright vessels, such as Gui and Bi, are made of stone, and the tripod is made of pottery. The burial tripod is exclusively treated by the emperor. A pottery tripod is replaced by a copper tripod, which is both in compliance 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/TodayKomiksDaily Morning Post
Do gold, silver and jade unearthed from the “Cao Cao’s tomb” violate the style of burial? Archaeological experts explained that these are all jewelry on the clothes of the tomb owner when he was buried, such as gold buttons, gold silk, etc., and are not burial objects. This is consistent with the saying that “burial is in the current suit” in Cao Cao’s order.
A small amount of jade and agate products were unearthed. Photo/China News Service
The historical facts are clear, why is there still a legend of “72 doubts tombs”?
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.
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. Cinema comes from historical facts on the one hand, and from literary legends on the other.
Babaylan 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, the treacherous and suspicious side of Cao Cao’s personality was magnified, and his image was stereotyped as a treacherous hero. The unknown site of his tomb also caused him to take the blame, becoming a proof of his treacherous. The poem “Cao Cao’s suspicion tomb” by Yu Yingfu of the Song Dynasty says: “I deceived the heavens and the Han dynasty during my lifetime, and deceived others and set up suspicion tombs after my death.”
Statue of Cao Cao/Data Picture
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 suspicion tombs west of Yecheng. There is an article in Pu Songling’s “Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio” “Cao Cao Tomb”, which follows this theory and says that Cao Cao’s tomb may add a layer of mystery beyond the “72 doubts tombs”.
TVKomiks stills/data photo
About Cao Cao’s tomb, there are four kinds of legends circulating among the people in Yecheng: One says that “72 suspicious tomb” is located west of Yecheng, the second says that Cao Cao’s tomb is at the bottom of the Zhanghe River, the third says that outside Xuchang City, and the fourth says that it is under the Tongquetai in Yecheng.
In YechengKomiksThere are indeed ancient tomb groups distributed along the Zhang River west of Komiks. This is the location of Cao Cao’s “72 Tombs” (actually 134) legendary. Cinema 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 doubting tombs widely circulated? Some scholars analyzed that this is related to people’s wishes. Because KomiksInfluenced by art works and folk legends, ordinary people think that Cao Cao is treacherous, so they are willing to believe that he will set up doubting 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. Cao Cao issued the “End Order” in his later years 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, Ye, is 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 doubted tomb was set up. Records such as “The Three Kingdoms” and “The Book of Jin” said that Cao Cao died in Luoyang in 220 AD. His coffin was transported back to Yecheng and buried in the hills west of the Ximen Bao Temple in Yecheng..
The ruins of Yecheng are in Linzhang, Hebei Province today/Data map
Until the Tang Dynasty, people had no doubt about the location of Cao Cao’s tomb. When Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin passed by Ye City 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. 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 Shuo was a hero of a generation and “used the emperor to command the princes”, but he was actually the master of the Han world. 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 the Han Emperor Xian 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”.
The Tomb of Xigaoxue Village Picture/Xinhuanet
Cao Cao advocated a thin burial, showing the spirit of a generation of heroes. After all, Chinese culture respected filial piety, and emperors “rule the world with filial piety”, so descendants always had to bury their ancestors to demonstrate filial piety.
The tradition of burial 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 bury. The underground palace of Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty Zhaoling was “not different from the world”…
The Terracotta Warriors and Horses of Qin Shihuang in Xi’an Picture/Visual China
Why did Cao Cao advocate thin burial? Objectively speaking, the wars and chaos in the late Eastern Han Dynasty were frequent, and the people’s livelihood in the Central Plains was in decline. “Fifteenth, from the military conquest, Cinema, we were able to return after eighty years”, “White bones were exposed in the wild, and there was no rooster crowing thousands of miles”. Cao Cao advocated thin burial with the intention of compassion for the people, which is worthy of praise.
The wars and chaos in 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 worthy of money and should not be short of money. The reason why he tried to promote thin burial against tradition was related to his personal value tendency. “WeiBabaylan” says Cao Cao “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 burial for the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties. It was not until the Tang Dynasty that the tradition of burial was restored.
Cao Cao in history is very frugal/Data picture
Of course, Cao Cao’s promotion of burial is related to the saying of “the lieutenant of gold”. In order to raise food and money, Cao Cao set up the positions of “Golden Crown Captain” and “Faqiu General” in the army, and specialized in digging graves and plundering gold and silver to fill military money. Therefore, Cao Cao was known as the “ancestor of the Mojin School” in later generations. This statement is mentioned in Chen Lin, one of the “Seven Sons of Jian’an”, a famous article “Expression to Yuzhou for Yuan Shao”.
Stills from the movie “The Dragon Search” / Data Picture
Cao Cao, who is so familiar with tomb robbers, naturally thought that behind him might be “treated by the way he is to treat others.” He knew that tomb robbers were seeking money, and tomb robbers who did not have burial objects were not very interested. Therefore, it is recommended to bury the poor and deliberately leave records. This is inevitable that there is the consideration of fear of being disturbed by tomb robbers behind me.
Cao Cao in the TV series “Military Advisors Alliance”/data picture
What Cao Cao didn’t expect was that although he advocated “thin burial”, his descendants also helped him interpret “72BabaylanSuspicious tomb”, but he finally couldn’t escape the embarrassment of being disturbed by later tomb robbers!
The ancestor of tomb robbers also encountered the embarrassment of being robbed by tombs/data photo
The road to discovering and identifying the “Cao Cao Tomb” in Xigaoxue Village, Anyang 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, taking every possible doubt rigorously will help us to keep getting closer to the historical truth and finally reach the truth!
Only enough evidence can clear away the fog of history/data image
BabaylanSource｜Yangchengpai
Column host｜Xia Yang
Editor｜Xie Zhe