Precious Artifacts Found in an Ancient Well in Hunan Province, China, Mark the Beginning of an Astonishing Archaeological Treasure.
According to Heritage Daily, a new excavation at the Chao Yang Archaeological Site in Changsha, Hunan Province, China, has unveiled a remarkable array of treasures dating from the Qin Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty.
The series of discoveries began with over 200 bamboo slips from the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) and the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD), uncovered in an ancient well.
One of the bamboo slips discovered from the treasure in the ancient well in Hunan – (Photo: CHINESE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES).
The inscriptions on the bamboo slips are in seal script, which was commonly used throughout the latter half of the 1st millennium BC and continued to be utilized for decorative carvings and seals during the Han Dynasty.
Subsequent analyses revealed the immense value of these artifacts: They are part of an archive from an ancient government.
Additionally, excavations led by the Institute of Archaeology at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences revealed traces of a building with a rammed earth foundation, dating back to the Western Han period, the early stage of the Han Dynasty.
This structure measures 28×18 meters and was built using several prominent types of bricks from the Western Han era. The building may have belonged to a high-status individual such as an official or noble in the area.
Following this, a second ancient well from the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1388) was uncovered.
Inside the Song-Yuan well, archaeologists found many other valuable artifacts including ceramics, bronze objects, and brass items.
This treasure-laden site also provided archaeologists with a cache of stone projectiles that the Yuan forces fired in the area during the Southern Song period.
Furthermore, an important type of artifact featuring characteristics that span from the Warring States period to the Ming and Qing Dynasties has enriched the timeline of this exceptional archaeological area.
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