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Researchers from the Jiangxi Provincial Cultural Relics and Archeology Research Institute in China have discovered the remains of weapons found in a Han tomb dating back more than 2,000 years.
The unusual weapon is made of several materials, making it the first of its kind to be recorded from the Han Dynasty, the agency announced on December 7, as reported. Xinhua News Agency.
The tomb belonged to Liu He, the prince himself he received the throne of the Western Han Dynasty (202 BCE to 25 CE) for only 27 days before being removed (though not executed). At the time of his death many years later, he was known as the Marquis of Haihun. Archaeologists found his a well-kept cemetery East China in Jiangxi Province in 2011.
The Institute of Cultural Relics and Archeology of China’s Jiangxi Province announced on the 7th that it has completed the preliminary processing of the pieces of military equipment excavated from the tomb of Prince Haiguan Liuhe, a former Han Dynasty tomb located in Nanchang, the province. Researchers also made about 6,000 shell fragments and found that they were part of a fish shell made of lacquered metal, copper, and leather. This is the first time that Han-style weapons made of multiple materials have been discovered. pic.twitter.com/mxV3OY0Jgj
— China Xinhua News Agency Japanese (@XHJapanese) December 10, 2024
Two years ago, archeologists discovered weapon scales (also known as plates) along with knives and swords in a pile in the tomb’s armory, according to The History Blog. Judging by the remains of lacquer – a hard, shiny coating – archaeologists thought the tools had once been packed in lacquered boxes.
“The tomb of Haihun Hou had been exposed to earthquakes and rising groundwater due to the expansion of the Poyang Lake area, so the armor was fragile,” said Yang Jun of the Jiangxi Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archeology and director of the excavation. the team that excavated the grave said Xinhua News Agency. For two years, the team, including researchers from the Institute of Archeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and several other organizations, took out 6,000 weapon scales and brought them to the laboratory for research and restoration.
The weapons differed greatly in size and scale. According to Bai Rongjin of the Institute of Archeology at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the scales of Han dynasty weapons are usually 0.39 to 3.94 inches (4 to 10 centimeters). The smaller the scales, the more they need, which requires a lot of skill to make such a tool.
However, “The smallest piece of armor” from the tomb of the Marquis of Haihun “is about 1 cm wide and 0.2 cm thick, making it the smallest piece of armor unearthed in Han Dynasty archaeological excavations,” he said. In addition, archaeologists found that the weapons were made of various materials, such as iron, copper, and leather. This is unusual, as Rongjin pointed out that Han-style weapons were usually made of a single material. In fact, the blade is the only documented example of a multi-tool from the Han Dynasty.
The armor at the end represents a remarkable example of Han Dynasty armor, and shows the range of armor that was available at the time. It may also indicate that although Liu He may have been shamed during his lifetime, he was buried with dignity.
