The Sword of King Goujian, made of bronze and tin, has retained its sharpness and luster after thousands of years.
According to Xinhua, this artifact is one of the most notable treasures in the Hubei Provincial Museum, intriguing many visitors. On Weibo, numerous viewers expressed their awe at the masterpiece upon visiting. The sword showcases the highest level of artistry in engraving and sculpture from the Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period, and serves as a hallmark of calligraphy due to the inscriptions on the artifact.
In June, a documentary on the history of the sword aired on CCTV, going viral and attracting millions of views. The sword is dubbed “The Greatest Sword in the World” for various reasons. When excavated from a tomb on Wang Mountain in Jiangling, Hubei Province in 1965, archaeologists were astonished to find that when the sword was drawn from its scabbard, it remained shiny and sharp, showing no signs of rust despite being buried underground for two millennia.
Through research, experts identified the two inscriptions on the sword as “This sword was made by King Goujian,” in the Bird Seal Script. The artifact is primarily made of bronze, measuring 56 cm in length and 4.6 cm in width. The hilt is inlaid with blue glaze, a type of ancient gemstone.
The Sword of King Goujian is an artifact from the Spring and Autumn period (771-403 BC), famous for retaining its shiny appearance and sharpness after 2,700 years—an exceptionally rare occurrence for artifacts of such antiquity, according to Vintage News.
Ancient characters on the sword blade. (Photo: Wikipedia).
This sword was discovered in December 1965 in Hubei Province, China, in a tomb located about 7 km from Yingnan, the ancient capital of the State of Yue. It was housed in a black lacquered wooden scabbard, next to a skeleton. After the sword was drawn from the scabbard, archaeologists found it remained sharp and shiny, despite being submerged in a watery grave for over 2,000 years.
From the time the sword was crafted in 510 BC until the State of Yue was conquered by the Zhou Dynasty in 334 BC, there were nine kings of Yue, the most famous being King Goujian. The identity of the king inscribed on the sword has sparked significant debate among scholars.
One question many people have is why the sword of a king who historically resided in modern-day Zhejiang, China, was found in Hubei. Researchers suggest that the sword was discovered in a typical tomb of the State of Yue. The tomb’s owner belonged to the noble lineage during the Warring States period. The sword was one of the treasures buried with this figure.
Currently, scholars are debating two reasons. The first reason relates to a political marriage. The king of the State of Chu married the daughter of King Goujian as a concubine, possibly leading King Goujian to gift the sword to his son as a dowry, thus the sword found its way to the State of Chu, into the hands of royal family members.
Some scholars argue that the sword was a trophy seized by the State of Chu from the State of Yue.
The sharpness of the sword has also garnered considerable interest. After the sword was retrieved from the tomb, a cautious archaeologist accidentally cut his hand upon touching the blade. To test the sharpness, archaeologists stacked 16 sheets of white paper on top of each other, and to their surprise, the sword cut through the stack with a single strike.
The blade of the sword. (Photo: CCTV)
According to researchers, the sword was made from high-quality materials with minimal impurities. The swordsmiths developed an innovative method to synthesize metals, achieving a high level of craftsmanship. Additionally, the rough lacquered scabbard effectively protected the sword inside, helping to prevent moisture and corrosion.
Moreover, the soil environment in the tomb had low oxygen levels, and the gypsum layer of the coffin helped isolate the sword from the outside world, preserving the artifact. To this day, scientists continue to study the crafting methods and the factors that have kept the artifact intact for thousands of years.
The sword has previously been exhibited abroad, but since 2014, the Sword of King Goujian has been included in the list of artifacts prohibited from export.
King Goujian reigned from 496 to 465 BC. The State of Yue, also known as Yu Yue, was a vassal state of the Zhou Dynasty during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods in Chinese history. This territory corresponds to present-day Zhejiang. During the Warring States period, this state was destroyed by the State of Chu. There were several kings of Yue, with King Goujian being the most famous for the saying “tasting honey and sleeping on thorns,” which refers to the king enduring hardships and remembering the bitter taste of defeat to not forget the humiliation of surrendering to the State of Wu. Through perseverance, King Goujian ultimately defeated the State of Wu, avenging his nation. |
