Unearthing a Royal Burial in Henan

Discovered in 1997 during excavations at the Taiqing Palace complex in Luyi County, Henan Province, the Changzikou Tomb (designated M1) stands atop an artificial 5-6 meter earthen mound. This monumental burial structure immediately captured archaeologists’ attention with its distinctive “zhong” character shape – featuring dual sloping passageways extending north and south from a central chamber. The southern passageway, measuring 21.5 meters long with a distinctive broad-to-narrow “knife” shape, contained five sacrificed horses, while the 16.5-meter northern passage connected to an elevated terrace within the tomb.

The tomb’s construction details reveal extraordinary care – walls smoothed by pounding, cinnabar pigment applied to passageways, and a stepped access point at each end of the eastern and western platforms. The burial chamber itself measured 9 by 6.63 meters at its opening, narrowing slightly toward the base in traditional Shang-style “larger top, smaller bottom” configuration.

A Lavish Burial Fit for Royalty

The deceased, identified as a male approximately 60 years old, rested within nested coffins inside an elaborate cruciform wooden chamber. His body lay blanketed under 15 cm of protective cinnabar powder, with a square waist pit beneath containing another sacrificed male (40-45 years old) and a dog. The tomb’s most disturbing yet historically revealing feature was its 15 human sacrifices – including eight individuals in the southern chamber (three young women under 20), platform burials of teenagers (16-18 years old), and a foundation sacrifice in the southern passageway’s compacted earth.

Artifact distribution followed precise ritual logic:
– Northern chamber: 160+ items with ceramics above bronze ritual vessels
– Western chamber: 80+ objects dominated by wine vessels with jade ornaments
– Eastern chamber: Musical instruments and weapons including bronze nao bells and stone qing chimes
– Inner coffin: Personal jades and shell ornaments surrounding the body

Ritual Bronze Treasures and Their Secrets

The tomb yielded 606 exquisite artifacts, including 79 ritual bronze vessels that rewrite our understanding of early Zhou elite culture. Among these, 28 were rare square-form vessels – constituting over a third of the collection and including nine square ding tripods, four each of square jue and gu vessels, and various other rectangular forms.

Three matching bronze tripod sets bore identical inscriptions reading “Changzikou” – the tomb owner’s name. Analysis of the 54 inscribed bronzes (48 bearing variations of “Changzikou”) confirms this was the burial of a ruler from the “Chang” state or clan. The bronze assemblages show both continuity and innovation:
– Shang traditions: Jue-gui wine sets and waist pit sacrifices
– Zhou innovations: Zun-you wine vessel pairs and four-eared gui food containers

Particularly noteworthy were five sets of bone panpipes – among China’s earliest wind instruments – and the complete absence of ceramic li tripods typical at contemporary sites.

Decoding the Tomb Owner’s Identity

Scholars debate whether Changzikou represents:
1. A Shang loyalist leader permitted to retain power under Zhou rule
2. One of the legendary Wei brothers – either Weizi Qi (founder of Song State) or his sibling Weizhong Yan

The evidence strongly favors identification as Weizi Qi based on:
– Tomb’s exceptional scale (dual passageways, cruciform chamber)
– Unprecedented 10 sets of jue-gui wine vessels
– Strategic location near early Song territory
– Historical records describing Weizi’s privileged status under King Wu of Zhou

Cultural Crossroads in Bronze and Blood

The burial practices present a fascinating cultural hybrid:
– Shang elements: Human sacrifice, waist pits, square bronzes
– Zhou characteristics: Food vessel emphasis, new musical ensembles

This synthesis reflects the complex transition period when Zhou conquerors adapted rather than eradicated Shang ritual systems. The lavish square bronzes – impractical for actual use – served as political statements affirming the owner’s authority during turbulent times.

Legacy of the Changzikou Discovery

This tomb revolutionized our understanding of:
– Early Zhou compromise with Shang elite culture
– The material culture of semi-independent vassal states
– Ritual music’s development (panpipes predating Confucian classics)
– Bronze inscription styles during dynastic transition

Ongoing research focuses on:
– Lead isotope analysis tracing bronze material sources
– DNA studies of sacrificial victims
– Reconstructing the tomb’s original mound architecture

The Changzikou burial stands as one of Henan’s most significant archaeological finds, offering tangible evidence of how China’s Bronze Age civilization navigated the treacherous waters between dynasties. Its artifacts continue to reveal new secrets about the ritual practices, political alliances, and artistic achievements that shaped early Chinese civilization.