2016年CRI Occupant of 2,000-year-old Tomb Confirmed

 

According to the excavation¹ experts, a jade² seal found in the interior coffin³ of the tomb has helped identify its master as the Marquis of Haihun.

The printing base of the seal is inscribed⁴ with the characters of "Liu He," the name of the Marquis, who was also the grandson of Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty, ruling from 141–87 BC.

Liu was given the title "Haihunhou" after he was deposed⁵ as emperor after only 27 days.

Yang Jun, an expert from the excavation team, says the Marquis of Haihun has a very special status in Chinese ancient history.

"We believe that the identity of the Marquis of Haihun is very special. Because he used be a feudal⁶ king, an emperor, and at last a marquis. This is very rare in ancient China's history."

The tomb, which dates back to the Western Han Dynasty, is believed to be the best-preserved tomb of its age found in China.

Over 20,000 items including gold coins, bamboo slips and bronze wares⁷ have been unearthed⁸ from the tomb of since the excavation began in 2011.

Xin Lixiang is the head of the excavation expert panel.

"So far, it is the largest finding in a Han Dynasty tomb in terms of the number of gold coins. It has set a record for this in China."

Xin believes that the nearly 3,000 wooden tablets and bamboo slips will also be helpful in getting to know more about Chinese history.

"These unearthed wooden tablets are mainly copies of reports submitted to the emperor and the empress dowager. The content in these bamboo slips is unknown at present, but according to earlier experiences, they are mainly medical and agricultural books dating back to the Western Han Dynasty."

To get people to better appreciate the delicacy⁹ of the unearthed items and the meanings behind them, a three-month- long display has been arranged at Beijing's Capital Museum.

More than 400 artifacts selected from over 10,000 items unearthed from the tomb during the 5-year-long excavation will be shown.

The exhibition is scheduled to last from March 2 to June 2.

For CRI, this is Huang Shan.

1 excavation   

n.挖掘，发掘；被挖掘之地

参考例句：

• The bad weather has hung up the work of excavation.天气不好耽误了挖掘工作。
• The excavation exposed some ancient ruins.这次挖掘暴露出一些古遗迹。

2 jade   

n.玉石；碧玉；翡翠

参考例句：

• The statue was carved out of jade.这座塑像是玉雕的。
• He presented us with a couple of jade lions.他送给我们一对玉狮子。

3 coffin   

n.棺材，灵柩

参考例句：

• When one's coffin is covered,all discussion about him can be settled.盖棺论定。
• The coffin was placed in the grave.那口棺材已安放到坟墓里去了。

4 inscribed   

v.写，刻( inscribe的过去式和过去分词 )；内接

参考例句：

• His name was inscribed on the trophy. 他的名字刻在奖杯上。
• The names of the dead were inscribed on the wall. 死者的名字被刻在墙上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 deposed   

v.罢免( depose的过去式和过去分词 )；（在法庭上）宣誓作证

参考例句：

• The president was deposed in a military coup. 总统在军事政变中被废黜。
• The head of state was deposed by the army. 国家元首被军队罢免了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 feudal   

adj.封建的，封地的，领地的

参考例句：

• Feudal rulers ruled over the country several thousand years.封建统治者统治这个国家几千年。
• The feudal system lasted for two thousand years in China.封建制度在中国延续了两千年之久。

7 wares   

n. 货物, 商品

参考例句：

• They sold their wares at half-price. 他们的货品是半价出售的。
• The peddler was crying up his wares. 小贩极力夸耀自己的货物。

8 unearthed   

出土的（考古）

参考例句：

• Many unearthed cultural relics are set forth in the exhibition hall. 展览馆里陈列着许多出土文物。
• Some utensils were in a state of decay when they were unearthed. 有些器皿在出土时已经残破。

9 delicacy   

n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴

参考例句：

• We admired the delicacy of the craftsmanship.我们佩服工艺师精巧的手艺。
• He sensed the delicacy of the situation.他感觉到了形势的微妙。