). The possibility of discovering more material from the Zhou royal tombs, if that's what they are, is fundamentally important. Perhaps it can lay to rest the old controversy of the authorship of the Yi. Many people have been in the habit of dismissing traditions from Chinese history, only to discover that the tradition was based on fact. Perhaps the tomb robbers have destroyed everything. But if we have 80 characters already and many tombs unexcavated, there is hope that there are more oracle bones. Happily the bones represent little or no value to robbers, save perhaps to make into medicine as was the case when the first An Yang bones were found. The possibilities make me glad to be born in this period of Yi Xue.:bows:
Clarity,
Office 17622,
PO Box 6945,
London.
W1A 6US
United Kingdom
Phone/ Voicemail:
+44 (0)20 3287 3053 (UK)
+1 (561) 459-4758 (US).
I dont know if anyone has read this:
http://www.chinaheritagenewsletter.org/articles.php?searchterm=002_controv.inc&issue=002
Some quotes:
Pretty amazing i would say. If it reaully turns out to be a royal zhou cemetery, maybe there are also texts inside the thombs, that can shed light on how to translate the zhouyi. Maybe even a original zhouyi!
Does anyone know something more about this? Or does anyone know of pictures of the oracle bones found at this site?
Sander
http://www.chinaheritagenewsletter.org/articles.php?searchterm=002_controv.inc&issue=002
Some quotes:
In March 2004, a joint team from Peking University and the Shaanxi Provincial Archaeology Institute began excavating at Zhougongmiao and within a fairly short space of time discovered 760 more oracle bones, of which 80 bore inscriptions. Three bore the name "Duke of Zhou", the first time his name has appeared in any oracle bone inscriptions.
With the discovery of building bricks and a tamped earth surrounding wall, it was clear that this was the highest ranking Western Zhou cemetery found to date in China, and was possibly the first royal cemetery of the period to have been discovered. The veteran archaeologist Zou Heng suggested that this was possibly the family cemetery of the Duke of Zhou himself, the man who established the political institutions of the Zhou dynasty. Others suggested that it could be a cemetery of the Zhou kings.
Zhang Zhongpei, [...], believed that haste was inappropriate at Zhougongmiao. However, another school of thought argued that the site was difficult to secure from tomb robbers, and, as the area had been subject to tomb robbery from early in the twentieth century onwards, it was wisest to proceed with the excavation as quickly as possible. More than 80% of excavations conducted in China are categorised as "salvage" excavations, and if a tomb is found to have been robbed, a salvage excavation is almost invariably approved if costs permit. SACH relented on the Zhougongmiao case by striking a compromise; in September 2004, SACH approved the excavation of two tombs only, in order to shed further light on the nature of the cemetery as a whole.
In October, the excavation of tombs nos. 32 and 18 began. Although tomb no. 32 had been extensively damaged by tomb robbers, tomb no. 18, with four entrance passages, seemed untouched. However, in December the team discovered three holes made by robbers in tomb no. 18. All is now quiet on the Western Zhou front at Zhougongmiao for the time being.
In October, the excavation of tombs nos. 32 and 18 began. Although tomb no. 32 had been extensively damaged by tomb robbers, tomb no. 18, with four entrance passages, seemed untouched. However, in December the team discovered three holes made by robbers in tomb no. 18. All is now quiet on the Western Zhou front at Zhougongmiao for the time being.
Pretty amazing i would say. If it reaully turns out to be a royal zhou cemetery, maybe there are also texts inside the thombs, that can shed light on how to translate the zhouyi. Maybe even a original zhouyi!
Does anyone know something more about this? Or does anyone know of pictures of the oracle bones found at this site?
Sander