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Original text of Yangcheng School/Xia Yang
Recently, the archaeological journal “Huaxia Archaeology” published the “Anyang Gaoling Cemetery 2016-2017 Archaeological Excavation Briefing”, and 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 past 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 the film and television drama/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 Relics and Archaeology, the Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology carried out a protective excavation. Shocking news came out 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 that 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 archaeological excavation. Fortunately, more than 200 objects remain. 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 short spear 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 mix the Yin name and Yang name, and evenPeople 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 promotion of burial, and they inferred that this was not Cao Cao’s tomb.
Faced with various aggressive doubts, 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, 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 body 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”.
XizhuBabaylan Village tomb excavation site Photo/LuoyangKomiks Evening News
Also confirmed with the Xizhu Village tomb, a tomb of an east-west Cao Wei nobleman was found in the Han imperial tomb in Shandong, Mang, Luoyang. The unearthed bronze seal shows that the owner of the tomb was Cao Xiu, a famous general of Cao Wei and the Grand Marshal of Cao Cao, who was the nephew of Cao Cao.
Cao Xiu/Data Picture in the TV series “Military Advisors Alliance”
The bronze seal of “Cao Xiu” proving the identity of the tomb owner/Xinhuanet
The most important information is that the tomb of Xizhu Village was unearthed and “Cao Cao CaoCinemaTomb” stone plaques are the same as many stone plaques. This clears the suspicion of “Cao Cao’s Tomb” stone plaques as forged.
The low-value stone plaques unearthed from Cao Wei’s tomb are also consistent with Cao Cao’s advocacy of thin burials. However, all three tombs were excavated and damaged seriously, and the unearthed cultural relics were limited, and some information was difficult to draw conclusions. However, some scholars infer that perhaps the burial objects written on the stone plaques in Cao Wei’s tomb may 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 cauldron is the exclusive treatment of the emperor. A pottery cauldron is used instead of a copper cauldron, which is in compliance with the regulations and does not lose the true meaning of burial!
The ritual cauldron is made of pottery picture/@Henan Business Daily
The ritual vessels and jades are made of stone pictures/Today’s Morning News
Do gold, silver and jade artifacts unearthed from “Cao Cao’s tomb” violate the style of burial? Archaeological experts explained that these are all jewelry on the clothes of the tomb owner when he was buried, such as gold buttons, gold silk, etc., and are not burial objects. This is in line with the statement that “burial is in the clothes of the time” 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 suspicious tombs”?
This KomiksWhen the archaeological community identified the “Cao Cao Tomb”, there were many doubts from all walks of life, which was also related to the mystery of the Cao Cao Tomb itself. It is said that Cao Cao Tomb has “72 doubts” and how can such a secret tomb be easily found? Therefore, there are natural oppositions in the official recognition, and even doubts about the accuracy and objectivity of archaeological excavation information.
The tomb passage of the “Cao Cao 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 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 preferences for literary legends, the treacherous and suspicious side of Cao Cao’s personality was magnified, and his image was stereotyped as a treacherous hero. The unknown tomb site also made him take the blame, becoming a proof of his treacherous. The Song people Yu Yingfu’s poem “Cao Cao’s suspicious tomb” says: “I deceived the heavens and the Han dynasty during my lifetime, and deceived people and set up suspicious tombs after my death. ”
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, there are four legends circulating among the people in Yecheng: one says that “72 suspicious 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.
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, it is necessary to maintain a rigorous and scientific attitude when defining a tomb as a serious academic question. 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” and arranged the funeral, saying that “the west of Ximen Bao Temple is Shouling”; before his death, he also said in the “Legend of the 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 atToday in Linzhang, Hebei/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 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 treed”, there is no obvious sign on the surface, and it gradually disappeared in the mountains and fields over time, and the specific location is difficult to explain. Especially the Ximen Bao Temple, which is used as a reference for its location, was later found in the ground buildings, 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” for 400 years
Cao Cao advocated thin burial. Before he died, he issued the “Legislative Order”, requiring him to “bury with his time clothes” and “no gold and jade treasures” 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
Cao Shuo was a hero of a generation and “used the emperor to command the princes”, but he was actually 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 advocated 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.
Chinese calendarThe tradition of burying grandly by emperors in generations 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 tax to repair Maoling. Liu Sheng, the princes of the Han Dynasty, wore golden jade clothes when they were 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’anKomiks 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 return was at the eightyth anniversary of the year”, “The bones were exposed in the wild, and there was no rooster crowing thousands of miles away.”Komiks. 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. “Book of Wei” says that Cao Cao is “elegant and frugal, not gorgeous”, so it is natural for him to propose “thin burial” in his twilight years of his life.
Cao Cao’s practice has opened up the 400-year burial style of burial for the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties. Until the Tang Dynasty, the tradition of grand funeral was restored.
Cao Cao in history is very frugal/Data picture
Of course, Cao Cao’s advocacy of burial is not unrelated to the saying of “the lieutenant of gold”. In order to raise food and money, Cao Cao set up a “Golden Certificate” in the army.comicmov.com/”>Cinema” and “General of the Central Army of Faqiu” are dedicated to digging graves and plundering gold and silver to serve military salaries. 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 poor and deliberately leave records. Among them, Cinema is afraid of being disturbed by tomb robbers behind him.
Cao Cao in the TV series “Military Advisors Alliance”
It was just that Cao Cao didn’t expect that although he advocated “thin burial”, he later helped him perform “72 doubts href=”https://comicmov.com/”>BabaylanTumura”, but he finally couldn’t 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 basically the same views at present, we still need to continue to maintain an open mind and accept various views. After all, taking 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