The Strategic Heart of Ancient China

The Xianyang region served as the imperial capital core or immediate outskirts during the transformative Qin and Han dynasties. This area’s significance becomes particularly evident through archaeological discoveries like the eight documented cases of coin molds and casting models. One remarkable bronze mold found at the Zhiyang Palace site in Lintong reveals subtle technical details – its slightly slanted pouring channels differ from the straighter ones seen in contemporaneous ceramic molds.

Zhiyang’s name originates from the ancient Zishui River, later renamed the Ba River after Duke Mu of Qin constructed his detached palace “Ba Palace” on its eastern banks during the Spring and Autumn period. By the Warring States era, King Zhao Xiang had transformed this royal retreat into Zhiyang Palace and established it as a county. The location held immense strategic value – positioned as the gateway eastward to the Hangu Pass leading to the Three Jin states and southward to the Wu Pass connecting to Chu territory.

The Archaeology of Small Objects Telling Big Stories

The archaeological team’s work with these modest artifacts reveals fascinating technical details about ancient Chinese metallurgy. Among the discoveries, five casting models demonstrate varied production techniques – seven employed face-and-back matched casting while one used layered casting resembling stacked steamers in a bakery, capable of producing 8-10 layers of coins simultaneously. The process left distinctive marks where coins were broken apart, providing crucial clues for researchers.

Team leader Zhang Yang, scratching his unruly curly hair, acknowledged the challenges of expanding their archaeological vision beyond the Xianyang plateau, across the Wei River’s north-south divide, and even beyond the Qin period itself. The work demands meticulous attention to detail, as when instructing colleagues to carefully observe the number of rough edges on cleaned coins – a task met with the now-familiar refrain: “This difficulty seems considerable.”

From Trash Heaps to Treasure Troves

Some of the most significant discoveries emerged from unlikely places. The team’s sifting through brick factory waste piles yielded extraordinary finds, rewarding the sharp-eyed workers who first spotted them. Yet as archaeologist Fang observed while taking a deep drag from his reward cigarette, the discovery of casting molds only raises more questions – where were the original master molds? Without finding these “great-grandmother” templates, the story remains incomplete.

The work highlights broader challenges in Chinese archaeology. As noted by respected archaeologist Zhang Zhongpei, the field must move beyond academic circles to engage the public, making archaeology part of the nation’s spiritual wealth. The 16-year gap between artifact collection in 2002 and proper investigation in 2018 demonstrates how much can be lost to time, neglect, and industrial activity like brick factory operations.

Connecting Past and Present Through Public Archaeology

Recognizing archaeology as fundamentally a people’s enterprise, the team established the Xianyang City Archaeological Volunteer Corps during 2019’s Cultural Heritage Day, adopting the rallying cry: “With confirmed eye contact, I am a cultural relic protector.” These humble coin molds, having witnessed Liu Bang and Xiang Yu’s historic entry into Xianyang, now serve as tangible connections between modern Chinese and their ancestors – embodying the evolution of currency, script, and the reality of Qin dynasty life.

The molds’ inclusion in the Qin Shihuang Emperor Mausoleum Museum’s “Unifying the Realm” exhibition, though overshadowed by more visually striking terracotta generals, represents their hard-won recognition. As the narrator reflects during a special visit to see them displayed, these artifacts make the distant past suddenly present.

The Perilous Shores of the Wei River

The Wei River’s banks conceal darker stories alongside archaeological treasures. Beyond the official protected zones, looters equipped with diving gear and metal detectors plunder the riverbed, feigning recreation when confronted. The scale became alarmingly clear in 2018 when over 800 Chu state “ant-nose” coins flooded the antiquities market from this area.

Field surveys revealed extensive human activity traces along a 3-kilometer stretch – architectural fragments like tile ends and eaves tiles littered the sand, while soil samples contained cultural layers with charcoal particles and pottery shards. Local historian Gao Zhongyu shared invaluable 2008 documentation of similar findings during a drought, while amateur collector Dongzi contributed boxes of ceramic fragments bearing Qin-era “Xian Ting Sha Li” workshop marks.

Reconstructing Xianyang’s Industrial Past

The “Changling Station Handicraft Site” archaeological reports detail a wealth of metal artifacts – imperial edict plaques, inscribed “private treasury” vessels, massive copper plates, and coins from various states. Among these, a beautifully rendered drawing of a seventh storage pit artifact caught particular attention – a small stand adorned with intricate gold-and-silver inlaid phoenixes and cloud patterns.

The painstaking digital recreation by team member Di Ming revealed astonishing details: paired male and female phoenixes with distinctive plumage, surrounded by swirling cloud motifs that seemed to extend infinitely. The exquisite craftsmanship not only demonstrates Qin artisans’ skill but also symbolizes harmony and cosmic continuity – themes that resonated deeply throughout Chinese culture.

As archaeologists continue piecing together Xianyang’s fragmentary remains, each discovery – whether from trash piles or riverbanks – adds another stroke to our understanding of China’s first unified empire. The work remains challenging, the puzzles complex, but the rewards illuminate how ordinary objects carry extraordinary stories across two millennia.