A Western Zhou dynasty tomb was found recently near the Tanheli Western Zhou Palace site. Some bronze items including the lids of wine containers, vessel feet and handles were unearthed along with jade beads. According to expert analysis, it might be the tomb of a noble, suggesting the Tanheli site is the Western Zhou Palace site and also shedding light on the mystery about Ningxiang bronze wares.

Among the excavated bronze ware, a wine container's lid was intact, though stained with clay. The piece is of high quality and the decorative patterns on it are quite exquisite. Xiang Taochu, an expert specializing in the Tanheli archaeological site, says that a similar lid was excavated in Ningxiang. It strongly suggests that the Ningxiang bronze ware may have been buried during the Western Zhou, and that the articles were probably produced before the Western Zhou dynasty. The proportion of jade beads and other bronzes indicate the occupant of the tomb must be a noble. It provides evidence that the Tanheli Western Zhou Palace site is near this ancient tomb. Xiang says if there was a palace, then nobles' tombs should be scattered around it. So the palace site, the tomb and bronze ware give a clear clue about to what era they belong.

             

                         (Jade beads)

The excavation of the first palace site is nearly complete. With the evidence of the unearthed pottery, we can almost be certain that the exposed part is a palace from the Western Zhou dynasty. It seems houses built during at least two previous eras existed below the site before the building of the current Western Zhou findings.

                 (The Excavation Site)

(Edited by Liu Min from www.qianlong.com)