The owner of this tomb is the renowned general Cao Cao from the Three Kingdoms period.
In April 2009, the expansion project of the Lianhuo Expressway in Luoyang City, Henan Province was approved and began construction. During the foundation work, a team of workers discovered a large ancient tomb and reported it to higher authorities.
The Tomb of Cao Xiu, Adopted Son of Cao Cao
The rescue excavation process started on May 21, 2009, and was officially announced to the press in 2010.
The tomb was discovered in the southeast of Tali Po Village, Songzhuang Town, Mengtang County. This tomb consists of many burial chambers built with bricks, measuring a total length of 50.6 meters from east to west, 21.1 meters from north to south, and a depth of 10.5 meters. At its widest point, the tomb is 35 meters long and 9 meters wide.
A labyrinthine view of the tomb discovered in Luoyang City. (Image: Baidu)
The bricks used in the tomb include two types: long bricks and wedge-shaped bricks. The largest brick in the tomb measures 46 cm in length, 10 cm in thickness, and weighs 50 kg, indicating that the identity of the tomb’s owner is far from ordinary.
There are signs indicating that the tomb has been excavated multiple times for grave robbing. A total of six theft holes were found above the tomb and in the tunnels. Although many burial objects inside the tomb were taken by grave robbers, the overall structure of the tomb remains relatively intact.
The unearthed artifacts primarily include ceramics, bronze items, iron objects, and gold and silver artifacts… Among them is a beautifully crafted bronze belt hook.
A seal inscribed with the characters “Cao Xiu”. (Image: Baidu)
Bronze belt hook. (Image: Baidu)
The tomb’s labyrinthine structure and valuable remnants have intrigued experts about the identity of its owner.
They found a bronze seal in the rear chamber of the tomb, measuring about 2.0 cm on each side, inscribed with the words “Cao Xiu.” Additionally, there was a cicada-shaped jade tassel, approximately three to four centimeters long, which is quite unique.
Thanks to this, experts can confidently assert that the owner of this tomb is Cao Xiu, the adopted son of Cao Cao – the famous general from the Three Kingdoms period.
The Remains After Over 1,700 Years
Cao Xiu, although a distant relative, was adopted and cherished by Cao Cao, treated as his own son. Since following Cao Cao, Cao Xiu accompanied him in numerous campaigns and was trusted with commanding a special forces unit during the siege of Lu Bu.
Surprisingly, in Cao Xiu’s tomb, human bones were found scattered in the front chamber and on both sides of the main tomb, identified by experts as belonging to two individuals: one male and one female. The examination revealed that the man was over 50 years old, approximately 171 cm tall, and the woman, believed to be Cao Xiu’s wife, was around 40 years old. Additionally, in the remaining burial chambers, they also discovered another set of female remains that could not be identified.
The remains with scattered bones of Cao Xiu. (Image: Baidu)
The archaeological team was extremely surprised to collect a relatively complete set of bones of Cao Xiu in the tomb, despite it being over 1,700 years old and having undergone countless “visits” from grave robbers.
It is known that in 228 AD, Cao Xiu was defeated in the Battle of Shiting, shortly thereafter he died from a poisonous ulcer and was buried in a large tomb with many burial artifacts in Luoyang, Henan, China.
Yet, the bones of the remains were neither decayed nor turned to dust after 1,700 years, which truly astonished the expert team.
This excavation is indeed of great value to the archaeological community and those who love the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, as the owner of the tomb is a legendary figure and countless rare cultural artifacts were discovered in this tomb.
