A 3,000-year-old golden funerary mask dating from the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC) was unearthed by archaeologists on the Yellow River, about 600 km northwest of Shanghai. Found in the tomb of an ancient noble in Zhengzhou, the mask was not the only find – several other relics and artifacts (more than 200 in total) from the Shang Dynasty were also found. see, shedding light on the rituals surrounding funerals and burials.
The gold mask weighs about 40 grams and measures 18.3 x 14.5 cm (7.2 x 5.7 inches) – large enough to cover an adult’s face. These rare discoveries at Zhengzhou reveal that the Shang people had a strong gold culture, further expanding our understanding of the ancient and mysterious culture.
The ancient wall of the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC) once surrounded the Shangdu site in Zhengzhou, where a rare gold funerary mask was recently unearthed. (Robinlun / CC BY-SA 3.0 )
Yellow River melting pot and unique gold funeral mask
Dating back to the early stages of Chinese civilization, the Shangdu site in Zhengzhou was one of the world’s first smelting sites, as revealed at a press conference on Friday. Another press release from China’s National Cultural Heritage Administration explained that the ancient city had great influence along the middle stretch of the Yellow River, state news agency Xinhua reported.
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“There has been a saying about bubaijinshen, or an eternal block of gold, since ancient times in China. [The gold funerary mask] proves that this concept has existed since the Shang Dynasty,” said Gu Wanfa, Director of the Zhengzhou Municipal Archaeological and Cultural Relics Research Institute. Quoted by Henan Broadcasting System, Gu further explained the difference between Sanxingdui’s golden mask and the current discovery, saying that the Zhengzhou Shangdu mask covered the entire face to “save the spirits”. may remain intact.
The Zhengzhou Shangdu Golden Mask is large enough to cover the entire face of the deceased and thus retains the entire soul of the deceased. (Xinhua News Agency)
Other discoveries about Shangdu in Zhengzhou and early Chinese civilization
The Zhengzhou Shangdu tomb of Shang aristocrats is a huge art gallery covering an area of 10,000 square meters (107,640 square feet). It contains a diverse range of burial objects, all of the highest quality, Global Times reported.
There are a number of bronze and jade artifacts and weapons, but it is the gold funerary mask that really stands out. Other gold objects found in the tomb included turquoise leaf and plaque inlays, and gold shell coins (metal imitations of earlier cowrie shell coins).
Chen Lüsheng, a renowned museologist and researcher with the National Museum of China, speculates that these findings have the potential to shed light on the origins of Chinese civilization. “Even though this golden mask is older than those excavated from the Sanxingdui Ruins, we still need more evidence and a larger number of archaeological discoveries to confirm it,” Chen said. perceive a direct connection between the Shang City ruins and the Sanxingdui Ruins.”
Eleven archaeological projects and 200 successful excavations, under the auspices of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, have been launched since 2018 to develop an even better understanding of the early stage of Chinese civilization. Notable sites include the Erlitou Ruins of Yanshi, dating from 3,500-3,600 years ago, and the Bicun ruins in northern China’s Shanxi Province, from 3,700-4,000 years ago.
These 200 archaeological projects are mostly concentrated in areas around the Yellow River, often considered the birthplace of Chinese civilization. However, some Western observers feel that China’s ultimate goal is to prove it is the birthplace of civilization in general.
Last month, the National Cultural Heritage Administration revealed that 1,800 cultural relics taken abroad had been returned to China in the previous decade.
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Archaeologists like Gu have important questions that only further research can answer. If gold funeral masks were made locally, where did the gold come from? Did locally produced masks then spread further to the southwest? Does the Shang culture have any common connection with the Sanxingdui ruins and the later Shu dynasty?
And if gold was traded with other cultures, it would raise questions about long-distance trade with other civilizations. Therefore, Shangdu gold funeral masks in Zhengzhou are rare and wonderful and can tell us more about funeral customs, society and trade in the Shang Dynasty in China.
