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Business Standard
19-05-2025
- General
- Business Standard
2,300-yr-old silk manuscripts finally return to China after 79 years in US
Two volumes of the 2,300-year-old Zidanku Silk Manuscripts arrived in Beijing from the United States in the early hours of Sunday, marking the end of a 79-year journey abroad, reported The South China Morning Post. Volumes II and III of the ancient silk texts, which date back to around 300 BC during China's Warring States Period, were returned by the National Museum of Asian Art, part of the Smithsonian Institution. They are considered the oldest known silk books discovered in China and are over a century older than the Dead Sea Scrolls. The manuscripts were unearthed in 1942 from a tomb in Zidanku, Changsha, in central China. They were first acquired by a Chinese collector and later smuggled out of the country in 1946 by American collector John Hadley Cox. The fragments were gifted to the Smithsonian in 1992. Volume I of the three-volume set remains with the privately held Arthur M Sackler Foundation. Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that efforts are ongoing to facilitate its return. China's ambassador to the US, Xie Feng, said the manuscripts' return represents a significant moment in China-US cultural cooperation. 'The return of the Zidanku manuscripts reflects a national revival, as lost treasures of Chinese civilisation make their way home,' he said. Cultural relics reflect the splendor of civilization, preserve the legacy of history, and uphold the spirit of the nation. Each artifact carries the spirit and lineage of a nation, touching the hearts of all Chinese people. I'm so delighted to witness the return of the Zidanku… — Xie Feng 谢锋 (@AmbXieFeng) May 17, 2025 According to Xie, around 600 artefacts have been returned to China from the US, including more than 40 this year. Experts believe the silk manuscripts contain ritual or divinatory texts, possibly linked to mythical figures such as Fuxi and Nuwa. They are seen as key sources for the study of early Chinese religion, cosmology, and intellectual history. Li Ling, professor in the Chinese department at Peking University, told CCTV that the Zidanku manuscripts are culturally comparable to the Dead Sea Scrolls. 'They speak to our ancient knowledge systems, our understanding of the cosmos, and the details of everyday life,' he said. The two returned volumes will go on public display in July at the National Museum of China in Beijing.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Archaeologists Uncovered the Oldest Section of the Great Wall of China Yet
The oldest known part of the Great Wall of China was recently excavated, dating 300 years earlier than the previous record-holding section. This new find is part of the larger oldest part of the Great Wall—known as the Great Wall of Qi, it's named for the Qi state that rose to power before China became a unified nation. Older, narrower parts of this ancient fortification are made of packed earth and stone, while the newer, wider parts were made of yellow earth strengthened by metal rammers. Winding 21,196 kilometers (12,171 miles) from the east to the midwest of northern China, the Great Wall of China has remained standing for thousands of years, through the bloodshed and devastation of war after war. Now, a newly excavated part of the fortification meant to fend off the Huns (and later Mongols) pushes the beginnings of the construction of the Great Wall 300 years earlier than previously believed. An excavation led by archaeologist Zhang Su of the Shandong Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology has unearthed the most ancient section of the Great Wall of Qi, which is 641 km (almost 400 mi) long and already the oldest known part of the wall. It took Zhang and his team from May to December of 2024 to carry out an excavation that spanned about 11,840 square feet. This section of the Qi Wall has been previously surveyed and investigated, but never actually excavated before. The Great Wall of China, a UNESCO World Heritage site, was constructed using different methods during different time periods, and this excavation showed the evidence. Techniques such as carbon-14 dating and optically stimulated luminescence (which reveals when grains of soil were deposited and blocked from exposure to light or heat) showed that the earliest parts of the Qi Wall were built as far back as the Spring and Autumn period of the Zhou Dynasty (1046 B.C. - 256 B.C.) and continued to rise during the overlapping Warring States Period (475 B.C. - 221B.C.). The land that is now China was not always united as one state. There used to be separate states, and during the earliest days of Qi wall construction, the Zhou Dynasty ruled over them. This was an era when art and literature flourished, and also the time of renowned philosopher Confucius (the Spring and Autumn Period is named after his work known as The Spring and Autumn Annals). Early parts of the wall erected at the time were about 33 feet wide. Around 480 B.C., the Zhou Dynasty crumbled as tensions rose between the states. This led to the Warring States Period—three centuries of continuous clashes as each state vied to conquer the land. The later, better-preserved parts of the Qi wall were as wide as 98 feet, but they could not preserve the Qi state. Ultimately, the Qin state dominated China. It is thought that the concept of a larger Great Wall can be traced to the defensive border walls erected by each state to keep out potential invaders. These early walls were made mostly of packed stone and earth, much like this older section of the Great Wall. The most durable part of the newly discovered segment of wall—built from yellow earth strengthened with metal rammers—aligns with the height of the Qi state's power. Also found at the archaeological site were the remains of semi-subterranean homes that Zhang's team thinks made up a settlement that was built before the wall and meant to defend the Yellow River (on the banks of which the capital of the Zhou Dynasty once stood). Pingyin City—an ancient settlement near the Qi Wall and supposedly a Qi State stronghold that used to only exist in historical texts—was also discovered during the excavation. "The layout, location, and associated infrastructure of the Great Wall of Qi reflect the Qi State's advanced military planning and strategic response to external threats,' Zhang told the Chinese newspaper Global Times. 'Its close connection to Pingyin indicates that the wall served not only as a defense mechanism but also played a strategic role in controlling key transportation routes.' Over time, the Great Wall of China would not just be used for military defense, but also to protect the beginnings of the Silk Road—a trade route with branches that spread from China through the Middle East and all the way to ancient Rome. The Great Wall took two millennia to build, and continues to survive as a reminder of a great empire that refused to fall. You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
Iraqi News
23-02-2025
- Science
- Iraqi News
Archaeologists reveal Great Wall of China could be hundreds of years older than previously thought
Archaeological excavations in eastern China have revealed that parts of the Great Wall are much older than first thought. In fact, recent research has proved that the wall is approximately 300 years older than previously estimated - dating back to the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046-771BC). The discovery in Shandong province has shown that the Unesco World Heritage site was not a single construction project, but rather a series of fortifications built across multiple dynasties. Until now, it was believed the first major walls were built around the 7th century BC. New excavations covering over 1,000 square metres have unearthed sections of the wall dating to both the Western Zhou Dynasty and the early Spring and Autumn Period of 770-476BC. Researchers employed a multidisciplinary approach to date these sections, analysing traditional artefacts alongside plant remains and animal bones found at the site. The findings revealed how ancient Chinese engineers expanded the wall to approximately 30 metres at the peak of Qi State during the Warring States Period. Ancient texts indicate the wall underwent multiple phases of development, including periods of collapse, abandonment and restoration. A particularly well-preserved section of the wall - built during the Warring States Period (475 BC to 221 BC) - has emerged as the most significant find at the site. "This section is the earliest known Great Wall in China," said Liu Zheng, who is a member of the Chinese Society of Cultural Relics. Archaeologists have also managed to uncover a wealth of historical structures at the excavation site in Shandong province. "We found buried sections of roads, house foundations, trenches, ash pits, and walls at the site," said Zhang Su, project leader from the Shandong Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology. The latest research has established that the Great Wall's sections near the ancient city of Pingyin served purposes beyond military defence. The proximity to this historically documented settlement has led experts to believe that the wall played a strategic role in controlling trade routes and transport networks.
The Independent
21-02-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Great Wall of China may be centuries older than previously thought
Archaeological excavations in eastern China 's Shandong province suggest that some of the oldest sections of the Great Wall were built 300 years earlier than previously thought. Recent digs in the Changqing area show that the engineering marvel wasn't a single construction project, but a series of fortifications built during multiple dynasties. The Great Wall was built to secure ancient China 's northern borders against nomadic groups from the Eurasian Steppe. Historical records suggest the construction of the Unesco World Heritage monument spanned centuries. However, extant documentation of the wall lacks details that could reveal its true origins. It was believed that the largest portions of the first walls were constructed around the 7th century BC and joined together under the Qin dynasty around the third century BC. However, new excavations undertaken last year and covering over 1,000 square meters found sections of the wall dating back to the late Western Zhou Dynasty, which ruled from 1046BC to 771BC, and to the early Spring and Autumn Period of 770-476BC. The findings shed light on advanced engineering of the ancient Chinese to expand the wall to about 30 meters at the peak of Qi State likely during the Warring States Period. Some ancient texts suggest that sections of the wall went through many phases of development, use, sometimes collapse and abandonment, and attempts at restoration. Researchers reportedly used a multidisciplinary approach to date these sections of the wall, including analysis of traditional artefacts collected at the site as well as specimens of plant remains and animal bones. Archaeologists found buried sections of roads, house foundations, trenches, ash pits, and walls at the site, Zhang Su, the project leader from the Shandong Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, told Global Times. One particularly well-preserved section was built during the Warring States Period from 475BC to 221 BC and is the best preserved, researchers said. This section is the 'earliest known Great Wall in China', said Liu Zheng, a member of the Chinese Society of Cultural Relics. The latest research also establishes the proximity of the Great Wall of this time to the ancient Pingyin city mentioned in historical texts, suggesting the wall was not just a fortification against invasion but also served a strategic role in controlling trade and transportation.
