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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 the TV series “Jingjue Ancient City”
It has been 10 years since the initial discovery of the “Cao Cao’s Tomb”. Although Cao Cao’s tomb was officially recognized, 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 exploration and controversy of Komiks in the past ten years, 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 form?
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 expert 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 to the local government “falsing” with archaeologists in order to seek economic benefits and rashly concluded the “Cao Cao’s tomb”.
Photo of Cao Cao was painted in the Ming Dynasty/data picture
The tomb was stolen during archaeological excavationBabaylan is heavy, but fortunately more than 200 objects are still left. The most important ones are 7, engraved with inscriptions such as “The Tiger Halberds often used by King Wu of Wei” and “The Tiger Short Spears often used by King Wu of Wei”. Among the cultural relics recovered by the police from the tomb robbers, there is also a stone pillow engraved with “The Comfort Stones often used by King Wu of Wei”.
These are key cultural relics to determine the identity of the tomb owner. But some people questioned that there were no stone plaques for each burial object? In ancient times, bamboo slips were used to register burial objects, and Cao Wei also used stone plaques. Could it be that history was reversed? Some people proposed the title of “King Wu of Wei” to mix the Yin and Yang names, and some even questioned that the stone plaques were suspected of being faked!
Stone plaque unearthed from “Cao Cao Tomb” Photo/Dongfang Jinbao
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 threats coming, the Cultural Relics and Archaeology Department Babaylan 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
As 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 is Cao Xiu, a famous general of Cao Wei and the Grand Sima, who is Cao Cao’s nephew.
Cao Xiu/data picture in the TV series “Military Advisors Alliance”
The “Cao Xiu” bronze seal that proves the identity of the tomb owner Photo/Xinhuanet
The most important information is that a large number of stone plaques like the “Cao Cao Tomb” were unearthed from the Xizhu Village tomb. This cleared the stone plaque of “Cao Cao’s Tomb” as BabaylanSuspect of 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. But some scholars infer that perhaps the burial objects written on the stone plaque in the Wei tomb of Cao might be just a name and were 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 the exclusive treatment of the emperor. Using a pottery tripod instead of a copper tripod is not only in line with the rules but also insignificant meaning of burial!
The ritual utensil is made of ceramic pictures/@Henan Business Daily
The ritual utensils are made of stone pictures/Today’s Morning News
Do gold, silver and jade unearthed from “Cao Cao’s tomb” violate the style of burial? Archaeological experts explained that these are all accessories on the clothes of the tomb owner when he was buried, such as gold buttons, gold wire, etc., and 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 jade and agate products were unearthed. Picture/China News Service
The historical facts are clear, why is there still a legend of “72 doubts tombs”?
At the time 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 Cao Cao’s tomb itself.It is related to mystery – Legend has it 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, from historical facts on the one hand, and from literary legends and folk legends on the other.
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 Song Dynasty poet Yu Yingfu’s poem “Cao Cao’s suspicion tomb” says: “I deceived the heavens and the Han people during my lifetime, and deceived people and set up suspicion tombs after my death.”
Statue of Cao Cao/Data Picture
href=”https://comicmov.com/”>CinemaIn 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 Pu Songling’s “Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio” “Cao Cao Tomb”, which follows this statement and says that Cao Cao’s tomb may add a layer of mystery to the “72 doubts tombs”.
Stills from the TV series “Romance of the Three Kingdoms”/Data picture
About Cao Cao’s tomb, there are four legends circulating among the people in Yecheng: one says that “72 suspected 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 of Yecheng.
There are indeed groups of ancient tombs distributed along the Zhang River west of Yecheng. This is the location of Cao Cao’s “72 Problems” (actually 134) legendary. However, it has been confirmed that it belongs to the Northern Dynasties tomb group, and the tomb of the Lanling King is among them.
Lanling King/Data Picture in Film and Television Drama
Babaylan Why is the theory of doubting the tomb widely circulated? Some scholars analyzed that this is related to people’s wishes. Influenced by artistic works and folk legends, ordinary people thought Cao Cao was treacherous and were willing to believe that he would set up suspicious tombs.
However, to determine that tombs are serious academic issues, a rigorous and scientific attitude must be maintained. In the face of this kind of problem, we must clarify the boundaries between literature and art, legends 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 Ximen Bao Temple is Shouling Mountain in Xiyuan”; before his death, he also said in the “Legend of 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 the Book of Jin, Cao Cao died in Luoyang in 20 AD. His coffin was transported back to Yecheng and buried in the hills west of Yecheng.
Yecheng ruinsKomiksIn Linzhang, Hebei Province/Data photo
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 Yecheng in the east to conquer Yecheng, he also worshiped Cao Cao’s tomb and wrote a sacrifice. This shows that at least KomiksIn the Tang Dynasty, the location of Cao Cao’s tomb was very clear.
<a However, because Cao Cao's tomb "do not seal or tree", there was no obvious sign on the surface, and it gradually disappeared in the mountains and fields over time, and the specific location was difficult to explain. Especially the Ximen Bao Temple, which is used as a reference for the location, was later lost to the ground, which made Cao Cao's tomb a mystery.
Komiks, which was used as a reference for the location, was also missing. src=”http://ycp.ycwb.com/ycpFileSystem/images/contentImg/2018/04/02/1522632557555089805_big.jpg” />
Schematic diagram of the location of “Cao Cao’s tomb”/data picture
Strive against tradition and lead the trend of “small burial” for 400 years
Cao Cao advocated burial. Before he died, he issued a “State Order” requiring him to “bury him in his time clothes” and “no treasures hidden in gold and jade” after his death. His son followed his will. Cao Pi’s “State Article” and Cao Zhi’s “Essay” both describe the funeral and burial situation. He wore repaired clothes when he was buried.
The scene of Cao Cao’s burial in film and television dramas/data picture
Cao was a hero of a generation and “used the emperor to command the princes”, but was actually the master of the Han world. Although he was just the “King of Wei” during his lifetime, CinemaActually enjoying 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”.
The Tomb of Xigaoxue Village Photo/Xinhuanet
Cao Cao advocates thin burial, showing the spirit of a generation of heroes. After all, Chinese culture respects filial piety, and emperors “govern the world with filial piety”, so descendants always have to bury their ancestors to show their 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 three points 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 different from the world”…
The Terracotta Warriors and Horses of Qin Shihuang in Xi’an Photo/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 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, so he should not lack money. The reason why he advocated thin burial against tradition is related to his personal value tendency. The Book of Wei said that Cao Cao was “elegant and frugal, not fancy,” so it was natural for him to propose “small burial” in his late years.
Cao Cao’s practice has opened up the 400-year burial style of burial for the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties. It was not until the Tang Dynasty that the tradition of grand funeral was restored.
Cao Cao in history was very frugal/Data picture
Of course, Cao Cao’s advocacy of burial was not unrelated to the saying “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 was known as the “the lieutenant of the gold school” in later generations. This statement was mentioned in Chen Lin, one of the “Seven Sons of Jian’an”, a famous article “The Election for Yuan Shao for YuzhouBabaylan“” by Chen Lin, one of the “Seven Sons of Jian’an”.
Stills/Data Pictures of the movie “Looking for Dragons”
Cao Cao, who is so familiar with tomb robbers, naturally thought that he might be “treated by the way of others.” He knew that tomb robbers were seeking money, and the tomb robbers who did not have burial objects were not very interested. Therefore, he advocated burial of Babaylan and deliberately left records. Among them, there was the consideration of being afraid of being 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 helped him interpret the “72 suspicious tombs”, he ultimately failed to escape the embarrassment of being disturbed by the tomb robbers in his long sleep!
The ancestor of tomb robbers also encountered the embarrassment of being robbed by tombs/data photo
The road to discovery and identification of 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 opinions. After all, treating every possible doubt rigorously is more conducive to us constantly approaching the historical truth and finally reaching the truth!
Only enough evidence can clear away the fog of history/data image
Source｜Yangchengpai
Column host｜Xia Yang
Editor｜Xie Zhe