News about the Yejiashan Graveyard in China

A worker excavates ancient wares from earth in central China's Hubei Province.

Source: China.org.cn/ Xinhua, July 9, 2013
A painted bronze pot has been unearthed from a cluster of tombs in central China's Hubei Province, marking the first discovery of painted bronze in an a dynasty about 3,000 years ago, archaeologists said Monday.

Researchers are still excavating the Yejiashan Graveyard in the city of Suizhou. The graveyard is believed to have been used to bury the lords of the Zeng State during the early Western Zhou Dynasty (1046-771 BC).

Zhang Changping, a professor at the School of History at Wuhan University, said the discovery of the pot will help researchers better understand changes in aesthetic preference that occurred during the Western Zhou Dynasty.

Over 1,500 bronzes, pottery works and lacquered items have been unearthed from the tombs so far.

Huang Fengchun, director of the archaeology team working at the tombs, said the items will aid in research regarding the chronology of the Western Zhou Dynasty and could serve as important evidence for the study of culture in the Hangjiang River Basin.

The Yejiashan Graveyard was discovered in 2011 and was one of the most important archaeological findings in China that year.

Chime bells unearthed in Yejiashan graveyard

CNTV, July 8, 2013

In Suizhou in Hubei Province, some new archaeological discoveries have been made in a series of tombs from the West Zhou Dynasty in Yejiashan. (ecns.cn)

The excavation is continuing in the Ye-jia-shan graveyard in Suizhou, Central China'sHubei province. On Wednesday, a part of a set of chime bells was discovered in one ofthe largest tombs in the graveyard.

For archaeologists of the Yejiashan graveyard, nothing has been more exciting thanexcavating the chime bells. On Wednesday afternoon, five chime bells were unearthedfrom tomb M111. Though it’s not a whole set, the archaeologists said it was abreakthrough nonetheless. It proves again that the owner of the graveyard might havebeen a noble and a music lover.

Li Boqian, Dir. of Archaeological Dep., Peking University, said, "These chime bells arethe earliest ones we ever found. Though the bronze-wooden frame to hang the chimebell has been rotted, some painting still can be seen. Probably there will be deeperdown. So we keep excavating and see. "

The Bronze Chime Bells of the Warring States Period are the most famous landmark ofSuizhou. They were discovered in the tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng in 1978, in thewestern part of the city. So far they’re the largest and most well preserved chime bellsever found in China.

Li Boqian, Dir. of Archaeological Dep., Peking University, said, "The set of bronze bellsunearthed in Marquis Yi of the Zeng’s tomb consists of sixty-five articles. That was alarge one and very well preserved. No matter how many chime bells we will excavate,it will serve as an important evidence of the history.”

The chime bells are a work of art from the Chinese bronze culture. Under the ritual andmusical institutions of ancient times, this percussion instrument was a symbol of theowner’s rank and transcended all other musical instruments.

Xia Ruixue, Suizhou, Hubei Province, said, “Archaeologists believe the Yejiashangraveyard has a history of 3000 years, over 500 years before the Marquis Yi’s tomb.The five ancient chime bells unearthed on Wednesday will serve as important materialevidence for people of today to study the history of the Western Zhou Dynasty.”

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Sacrificial pits excavated from central China tombs

English.news.cn   July 4, 2013

Archaeologists prepares before the digging at the Yejiashan Graveyard in Suizhou, central China's Hubei Province, July 3, 2013. Archaeologists started a new round of digging at the Yejiashan Graveyard on Wednesday, which was believed to have belonged to lords of the Zeng State during the early Western Zhou Dynasty (1046-771 BC). First discovered in 2011, the Yejiashan Graveyard was inscribed among China's Top 10 Archeological Findings that year. More than 700 pieces of crockery, bronze wares, lacquerwares and jade have been excavated from the tombs. (Xinhua/Yang Wenming)

WUHAN, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Sacrificial pits for horses and chime bells have been unearthed from a cluster of tombs in central China, providing insight into a dynasty about 3,000 years ago, archaeologists said.

Researchers are still excavating the Yejiashan Graveyard, in Suizhou City in Hubei Province, believed to have belonged to lords of the Zeng State during the early Western Zhou Dynasty (1046-771 BC).

Seven sacrificial pits have been found with horse skeletons buried inside, the first time horse pits from that period have been found in the southern part of China, said Li Boqian, an archaeologist at Peking University.

Five bronze chime bells have also been unearthed from a newly discovered tomb, said Huang Fengchun, researcher with the Hubei Provincial Institute of Archaeology. The tomb is believed to be the largest in the dynasty, Huang added.

Archaeologists are still excavating the site to find out the chime's full size, hoping that the bells might offer clues on the origin of the musical instrument, Li said.

First discovered in 2011, the Yejiashan Graveyard was inscribed among China's Top 10 Archeological Findings that year. More than 700 pieces of crockery, bronze wares, lacquerwares and jade have been excavated from the tombs.

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