Chime bells sacrificial pit discovered at Yellow Emperor Hometown Site

　　新郑黄帝故里遗址发现编钟祭祀坑

Recently, there was a new archaeological discovery in the Ancient Capital of Zheng and Han States in Xinzheng---a Chinese chime bells sacrificial pit was found at the Yellow Emperor Hometown Site.

近日，新郑郑韩故城又有新发现，考古人员在黄帝故里遗址发现一座编钟祭祀坑。

According to Yu Jie, a staff member of the Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology, this sacrificial pit is 2.6 meters long, 1.4 meters wide, and 0.8 meters deep. Three rows of bell racks were unearthed in the pit, with a total of 24 chime bells, including 4 Bo bells and two sets of Niu bells, with 10 bells in each set. The chimes are well-preserved and spared from theft. The wooden racks can be clearly seen, which date back to the mid to late Spring and Autumn Period.

河南省文物考古研究院余洁介绍，该遗址编钟祭祀坑东西长2.6米，南北宽1.4米，深0.8米，坑内出土有三排钟架，共24个编钟，分别有鎛钟4枚，钮钟20枚，10枚为1套，共计2套。编钟保存完整，未经盗扰，木架清晰可见，年代为春秋中晚期。

In addition, the 8 horse burial pits excavated this time have all suffered varying degrees of damage. Generally, two horses are buried in one pit. Take pit 3 as an example. It is in a rectangular shape, with straight walls and a flat bottom. The pit is 2.45 meters long and 2.1 meters wide, with two horses' heads facing west and their backs facing south.

另外，本次发掘的8座殉马坑，都遭到不同程度的破坏，一般放置两匹马，以3号坑为例，平面为长方形，直壁，平底，殉马坑东西长2.45米，宽2.1米，置两匹马，马头向西，背向南。

Archaeologists also found two noble tombs M22 and M33 near the palace area of the State of Zheng in the Spring and Autumn Period. The tombs are vertical pits in form, of which one has a coffin and an outer coffin, while the other one has a coffin and two outer coffins. Complete bronze ritual vessels have been unearthed in both tombs, consisting of three Ding vessels, four Fu vessels, one Dun vessels, one Zhou vessel, one Pan vessel, and one Yi vessel. Except for the bronze Fu vessel, the shape and combination of the bronze ritual vessels in the two tombs are basically the same.

考古人员还在位于春秋时期的郑国宫殿区附近发现两座贵族墓葬，分别为M22和M33。墓葬形制为竖穴土坑，葬具有一棺一椁和一棺两椁，均出土有完整的青铜礼器，组合为鼎3、簠4、敦1、舟1、盘1、匜1，除铜簠外，两座墓青铜礼器的形制和组合基本相同。

As Yu Jie introduced, it is the first time that noble tombs have been discovered near the palace area of the State of Zheng in the Ancient Capital of Zheng and Han States. This finding has significant academic value as the two tombs are of high rank and well preserved, which is very rare among the archaeological discoveries in this site over the years.

余洁介绍，在郑国宫殿区附近发现贵族墓葬在郑韩故城中尚属首次，这两座墓等级较高，且保存十分完好，这在郑韩故城历年的考古发现中是十分难得，具有重要的学术价值。

Web editor: Li Xiaoshu, Zhang Rui