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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” is pictured Babaylan/Xinhuanet
After these ten years of exploration and controversy, 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 come into being?
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 and Archaeology, the Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology carried out a protective excavation. At the archaeological discovery briefing held in Beijing in 2009, shocking news came out: 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 voices of criticism from well-known professors and scholars.
Some of the questions went beyond the scope of academic discussions, pointing out that the local government rashly concluded the “Cao Cao’s tomb” in order to seek economic benefits.
Photo of Cao Cao was painted in the Ming Dynasty/data picture
The tomb was severely stolen during the archaeological excavation, but fortunately more than 200 objects were left. The most important ones are 7, engraved with inscriptions such as “The tiger’s halberd often used by King Wu of Wei” and “The tiger’s halberd often used by King Wu of Wei” and other inscriptions. Among the cultural relics recovered by the police from the tomb robbers, there is also a stone pillow engraved with the “Stone of comforting the neck that King Wu of Wei often used.”
These are key cultural relics to determine the identity of the tomb owner. But some people questioned, how could I hold stone cards for every funeral item? In ancient times, bamboo slips were used to register burial objects, and Cao Wei also used stone tablets. Is it a regression in history? Some people also proposed the title of “King Wu of Wei” to confuse Yin and Yang names, and some even questioned that the stone tablet was suspected of being faked!
Stone plaque unearthed from “Cao Cao’s tomb” Picture/Oriental Daily
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 advocacy of burial, and it was inferred from this that this was not Cao Cao’s tomb.
Faced with various inclinations of fierce doubtsKomiks, the cultural relics and archaeology department 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. Anyone can express different opinions when the evidence is insufficient.
Celadon jars unearthed from the tomb Photo/Henan Business Daily
Babaylan In 2016, another large Cao Wei tomb was discovered 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 tomb, and is the same as the “Cao Cao Tomb”.
The excavation site of Xizhu Village tomb Photo/Luoyang Evening News
According to the large tomb of Xizhu Village, a tomb of the east-west Cao Wei nobles 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 Marshal of Cao Cao, who is the nephew of Cao Cao.
Cao Xiu in the TV series “Military Advisors Alliance”/Data picture
The bronze seal of “Cao Xiu” that proves the identity of the tomb owner/Xinhuanet
The most important information is that a large number of stone plaques like the “Cao Cao Tomb” were unearthed from the large tomb of Xizhu Village. This cleared the suspicion of the “Cao Cao’s Tomb” stone card as a 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. However, some scholars infer that perhaps the burial objects written on the stone tablets in the Cao Wei tomb may be just a name and have not been buried in the physical objects.
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 cauldron is made of ceramic Komiks Photo/@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? In response to this, archaeological experts explained that these are all accessories on the clothes on the tomb owner during the burial of the tomb. Babaylan, 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. Photo/China News Service
The historical facts are clear, why is there still a legend of “72 doubts”?
When the archaeological community identified the “Cao Cao Tomb”, there were surging doubts from all walks of life, which was also related to the mystery of the Cao Cao Tomb itself. It is said that there are “72 doubts” in Cao Cao’s tomb. How can such a secret tomb be easily found? Therefore, there are natural opposition in the official recognition of the people, and even doubts about the accuracy and objectivity of the archaeological excavation information.
Tomb passage of “Cao Cao Cao’s Tomb” Picture/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 on the other.
Cao Cao in history was an outstanding politician, military strategist, and writer. But since the Northern Song Dynasty, due to political needs and preferences for literary legends, Cao Cao’s personality was treacherous and suspicious. The side of Babaylan was magnified, and his image was defined as a treacherous hero. The unknown site of his tomb also made him take the blame, becoming a proof of his treacherous. The poem “Cao Cao’s suspicion tomb” by Yu Yingfu of the Song Dynasty said: “When he was alive, he was disobeyed, and after he died, he set up a suspicion tomb. ”
Statue of Cao Cao/Data Picture
In 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” that follows this statement and said that Cao Cao’s tomb may add a layer of mystery beyond the “72 suspicious tombs”.
Stills from the TV series “Romance of the Three Kingdoms”/Data picture
About Cao Cao’s tomb, four legends are circulated among the people in Yecheng: one says that “72 suspected tombs” are located west of Yecheng, the second is that Cao Cao’s tomb is at the bottom of the Zhanghe River, the third is outside Xuchang City, and the fourth is below the Tongquetai in Yecheng.
At the side of the Zhang River west of Yecheng, there are indeed groups of ancient tombs distributed, which is the location of Cao Cao’s “72 doubts tombs” (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
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, art, legend and official history, and return to history itself to explore historical figures.
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 west of Ximen Bao Temple is Shouling”; before his death, he also said in the “Legend 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 “Book of Jin” and other records that in 220 AD, Cao Cao died in Luoyang, and his coffin was transported back to Yecheng and buried in the hills west of the Leopard Temple in the West Gate of Yecheng.
The ruins of Yecheng are in Linzhang, Hebei Province today/Data map
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 when he was expeditioning Goryeo, he also worshiped Cao Cao’s tomb and wrote a tribute. This shows that at least in the Tang Dynasty, the location of Cao Cao’s tomb was very clear.
However, because Cao Cao’s tomb is “not sealed or treeless”, there is no obvious sign on the surface, and it gradually disappeared in the mountains and fields over time.The position of the body is hard to tell. Especially the Ximen Bao Temple, which is used as a reference for its location, was later built on the ground, which made Cao Cao’s tomb a mystery.
Schematic diagram of the location of “Cao Cao’s Tomb”/data picture
Strive to counter tradition and lead the trend of “thin burial” 400Komiks 2020
Cao Cao advocated thin burial. Before he died, he issued a “Legitimate Order”, requiring him to “bury him in the same clothes” and “no treasures hidden in gold and jade” after his death. His son followed his will. Cao Pi’s “Statement” and Cao Zhi’s “Essay” describe the funeral and burial situation, and he wore repaired clothes during the burial.
The scene of Cao Cao’s funeral in film and television dramas/data picture
CaoCinema operates as a generation of heroes, “using the emperor to command the princes”, but in fact, Komiks is the master of the Han world. Although he was just the “King of Wei” during his lifetime, he actually enjoyed 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 cultureTo respect filial piety, the emperor “governs the world with filial piety”, so the descendants must always be buried with great burial.
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 one-third 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, the wars in the late Eastern Han Dynasty were often chaotic, and the people’s livelihood in the Central Plains was in decline. “Five of the military campaigns, they were able to return after 80 years of dying”, “White bones were exposed in the wild, and there was no rooster crowing thousands of miles.” Cao Cao advocated that burial was compassionate with the people’s feelings 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 WeiBabaylan. It was not until the Tang Dynasty that the tradition of grand funeral was restored.
Cao Cao in history is very frugal/Data picture
Of course, Cao Cao’s promotion of burial is not unrelated to the saying of “the lieutenant of the gold”. In order to raise food and money, Cao Cao set up the positions of “Golden Crown Captain” and “Faqiu General” in the army, and specialized in digging graves and plundering gold and silver to fill military money. Therefore, Cao Cao was known as the “ancestor of the Mojin School” in later generations. This statement is mentioned in Chen Lin, one of the “Seven Sons of Jian’an”, a famous article “Expression to Yuzhou for Yuan Shao”.
Stills from the movie “The Dragon Search” / Data Picture
Cao Cao, who is so familiar with tomb robbers, naturally thought that behind him might be “treated by the way he is to treat others.” He knew that tomb robbers were seeking money, and tomb robbers who did not have burial objects were not very interested. Therefore, it is recommended to bury the little burial and deliberately leave records. This is inevitable that there is the consideration of fear of being disturbed by tomb robbers behind me.
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 of his long sleep!
The ancestor of tomb robbers also encountered the embarrassment of being robbed by tombs/data photo
The road to discovering and identifying the “Cao Cao Tomb” in Xigaoxue Village, Anyang has been going through ten years. As an academic issue, although we have a basic consensus view at present, we still need to continue to maintain an open mind and accept various views. After all, treating every possible doubt rigorously will help us to keep getting closer to the historical truth and finally reach the truth!
Only enough evidence can clear away the fog of history/data image
Source｜Yangchengpai
Column host｜Xia Yang
Editor｜Xie Zhe