Mysteries lay beneath the soil

By Saimah Hanif

Correspondent, SAM Daily Times

Unearthed tomb from Western Zhou  With the excavation of the recently unearthed tomb from China's ancient Western Zhou dynasty, it's been around ten days since a villager in Shaanxi Province discovered the tomb during the construction of his house. Among the big finds were a set of delicate bronze ware. Those are now on their way to the lab for analysis.  

The excavation is now in its most important phase. Experts are collecting the artifacts, hoping to examine them further back at the lab. But before they can start digging, they had to scan and map the entire site.

Liu Junshe, Captain of Baoji Excavation Team, said, "There are two ways of mapping, which we carried out at the same time. One is three-dimensional scanning, the other is hand drawing."

Professionals from the Shaanxi Archaeological Research Institute arrived at the scene on Sunday and immediately began a comprehensive scan of every artifact in the tomb. Modern technology allows them to create graphs in intricate detail with only a slight margin of error. It was all mapped out within two days.

The team is trying their best that original order is preserved, helping further study. However, it is definitely not an easy task to move these weapons and instruments of war, as they are encased in a thick layer of burial earth.

Song Junrong, Shaanxi Archaeological Research Institute, said, "First, we cover the relics with plastic wrapping and clear the earth on the surface. Then we reduce the covered earth into dust and press it solid."

Then with the help of gypsum and linen, the artifacts are fixed tight and moved to the lab. Archaeologists also have their eye out for colorful fragments. Compared to bronze ware, these unusual and fragile pieces need even more care and intensive analysis.

Liu Junshe, captain of Baoji Excavation Team, said, "In the beginning, we thought it might be mural paintings. But after further study we reached another conclusion. It’s possible that paints were applied to a thin wood board, and then painted over with black and red."

The fragments are just one of three mysteries that are yet to be unraveled in the three-thousand-year-old tomb. Though smaller than other tombs found from the same period, this one discovered in Shaanxi's Baoji city has attracted a lot of interest for its unique features when it comes to location and decoration.

Liu Junshe also said, "In the previous tombs, artifacts used to be kept at the end of the second floor or the base floor. However in this one, all the bronze wares are kept in a niche at the side. We haven't seen anything like this before."

There is also fierce speculation over who the tomb belonged to. The numerous wine vessels found at the scene have led some experts to suggest it might have belonged to an alcoholic nobleman. There is also evidence to suggest that he might not have been related to the king of Western Zhou.