Let's learn more! Take a look at those cultural relics that are full of "time travel feeling". What's so cool about them?

Behind every rare cultural relic

They all embody the ingenuity and wisdom of the ancients

Those artifacts that are similar in design and appearance to modern items

It brings unparalleled shock to people

In this issue, we take you through time and space

Get close to those cultural relics full of "time travel feeling"

Let’s uncover the mysterious beauty together~

1Ancient Shu Sanxingdui Bronze Sun Wheel-shaped Object

Image source: Sanxingdui Museum official WeChat public account

In 1986, six bronze sun wheel-shaped objects were unearthed in Sanxingdui, the largest of which was 85 cm in diameter. They were cast by split casting, with a large round hub-like center and five equally divided thorns around it. The outermost circle connects the five rays of light, just like the steering wheel of a modern truck.

Since the day it was unearthed, its purpose has attracted endless speculation from the public and experts, whether it is a shield decoration, a wheel fragment, or an alien steering wheel...

Some scholars have believed that this is a shield decoration that makes the shield look more beautiful and is a magical tool used in dance rituals. However, the gap in the middle is huge, which obviously does not provide any defensive effect. In addition, the sun wheel-shaped device is very heavy and not easy to lift, and there is no handle on the back.

Image source: Sanxingdui Museum official WeChat public account

Some people also believe that this may be the remains of a wheel made by the ancient Shu people. However, no body of a chariot was unearthed during archaeological excavations. Moreover, in the era of horse-drawn chariots, it is also unreasonable to use heavy bronze to make wheels. The theory that the public is most interested in is that it was made by aliens.

After continuous research on Sanxingdui by archaeologists, the mainstream view now is that the Sanxingdui bronze sun wheel-shaped object is the materialization of the ancient Shu people's sun worship.

During the archaeological work in Sanxingdui, archaeologists have discovered bronze objects related to sun worship, such as bronze sun wheels, sacred trees, and eye-shaped objects in several sacrificial pits. In addition, many bronze objects are decorated with sun patterns, reflecting the ancient Shu people's awe and thinking about the sun and nature.

Sanxingdui bronze mask

A large amount of archaeological data proves that the Chinese concept of the sun god and the sun worship had already taken shape in the Neolithic Age. For example, the image of the sun bird on the pottery of the Yangshao culture, the bone carving of "two birds carrying the sun" and the ivory carving of "two birds facing the sun" unearthed from the Hemudu site, and the rotating sun pattern on the pottery square tripod unearthed from the Erlitou site, etc., are all true portrayals of the ancient Chinese people's worship of the sun and the sun bird. China, together with India, Egypt, Greece and the Mayan culture of South America, is one of the five major birthplaces of sun worship in the world.

2Shang Dynasty Jade Ear Spoon

Two jade ear spoons | Source: Social Sciences in China

It is hard to imagine that ear cleaning, which has become popular in recent years, actually existed more than 3,000 years ago, and the tools used in ancient times were so elegant and sophisticated.

In 1976, the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences excavated the tomb of Fu Hao, located in the Xiaotun Palace site of Yinxu. This is the only tomb of the royal family of the late Shang Dynasty whose owner has been identified and has not been looted. A total of 1,928 artifacts were unearthed from Fu Hao's tomb, including two jade ear spoons.

Modern ear cleaning tools

According to the "Study on Jade Artifacts Excavated from the Tomb of Fu Hao in Yinxu" compiled by the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the two ear picks are made of jade, with fish-shaped tops, one large and one small. The entire fish body is slender, with its head pointing upward, a small mouth, round eyes, clear gills, dorsal fins, pectoral and ventral fins, and no tail. The lower end of the body is retracted into a short handle, and a small round spoon hole is carved at the end of the handle, which is quite exquisite.

Fu Hao's dressing utensils｜Photo source: China Social Sciences Network

Fu Hao lived around 1200 BC. She is recorded in many oracle bone inscriptions and is especially famous for her heroic image. She is the earliest female general discovered in Chinese archaeology. She once led a 13,000-man army to attack the Qiang people, inspected agricultural production, presided over sacrifices, and met with representatives from all walks of life. She was the spouse of King Wu Ding of the Shang Dynasty.

The discovery of the jade ear spoon allows modern people to get a glimpse into the refined life of ancient people and the multifaceted style of this legendary female general of the Shang Dynasty.

3Warring States crystal cup

Crystal cup｜Photo source: Hangzhou Museum official website

The Warring States crystal cup housed in the Hangzhou Museum is the largest early crystal product unearthed in China to date. It is also one of China's national treasures listed in the "First Catalogue of Cultural Relics Prohibited from Exhibition Abroad".

The Warring States crystal cup unearthed in Hangzhou in 1990 has been called the most "time-travel" artifact by many people because of its appearance similar to the glass cups used in modern society. The Warring States crystal cup is a crystal vessel from the late Warring States period, 15.4 cm high, 7.8 cm in diameter, 5.4 cm in bottom diameter, and 2 cm high in the ring foot. The cup has an open flat lip, oblique straight wall, round bottom, and outward-slanting ring foot. The cup body is transparent and plain without patterns. Overall, the shape is simple but the workmanship is exquisite. The surface of the vessel is polished, and there are a small amount of sponge-like natural crystals on the bottom and middle of the cup.

crystal

To the public, the "magic" of the Warring States crystal cup is that its shape is very similar to the cups people use today, and it does not look like an item from more than 2,000 years ago. Some people even think that it may be a glass cup left here by tomb robbers. But in fact, if you touch the Warring States crystal cup with your hands, you will know that it is made of different materials from today's beer cups. Its hand-made cup wall is thicker and completely different from modern craft glass cups.

Modern glass

From the industry's perspective, there are three "mysteries" about the Warring States crystal cup.

The first is where the material comes from - the material of the Warring States crystal cup is a piece of high-purity crystal, and crystal of the same purity is difficult to find both at home and abroad; the second is how to extract the core - crystal is very hard and difficult to process, and the cup has sloping walls, wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, so whether it is the tube drilling method similar to that made of jade, or diamond grinding, or other methods of core extraction, it is still uncertain; the third mystery is how to polish the outer wall - polishing the outer wall is relatively simple, but because the Warring States crystal cup is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, ordinary people cannot reach their hands in, and the inside is difficult to polish. How the ancients polished the inner wall and bottom to be smooth and flat is also an unsolved mystery.

At present, no similar artifacts of the same period have been discovered in the world, so the Warring States crystal cup is a "unique piece", and these three "mysteries" have continued to this day.

4Warring States painted lacquer wood folding dressing box

Painted lacquer wood folding dressing box | Source: Screenshot of CCTV program "China National Treasure Conference"

This dressing box was unearthed from the No. 1 Chu Tomb in Jiuliandun, Zaoyang, Hubei in 2002. It is the earliest dressing box artifact found so far. Its owner was a male noble of the Chu State.

The overall design of this wooden lacquer box, which can be both flipped and retracted, is very ingenious. The box body is made of two wooden boards carved and hinged together. There are retractable supports inside the box. The connecting parts between the supports and the body are made of bronze. They are connected up and down and can be opened 180 degrees and placed horizontally, which is somewhat similar to a modern long foundation box.

Image source: Screenshot of CCTV program "China National Treasure Conference"

There are also shallow grooves of different shapes carved into the inside of the box, which hold a bronze mirror, a wooden comb, a scraper and a powder box. The mirror is used to look at the face, the scraper is used to trim the sideburns, the wooden comb is used to cut hair, and the powder is used for beautifying.

Ancient men paid particular attention to their appearance. They would carry a makeup box with them when they went out, so they could tidy up their appearance anytime and anywhere. This makeup box not only reflects the living habits of the Chu nobles at that time, but also embodies the exquisite skills of ancient craftsmen.

Nowadays, modern dressing boxes have been further improved on the basis of inheriting the traditional elements such as the shape, function and appearance of ancient dressing boxes. They have become more refined, with secret compartments inside and carvings outside. They are larger in size, more functional and have certain artistic value.

Modern dressing table

5 Southern Song Dynasty Crystal Bi

Crystal Bi｜Photo source: Huangyan District Museum official WeChat public account

This crystal bi was unearthed from the tomb of Zhao Boyan of the Southern Song Dynasty in Huangyan District, Taizhou, Zhejiang Province. It has an outer diameter of 7.5 cm, an inner diameter of 3.2 cm, and a thickness of 1.2 cm. The silk braided rope tied to the bi is 270 cm long and 0.55 cm thick. Both the crystal clear bi and the intact rope are incredible to the viewers. They are from more than 800 years ago.

The ancients called the edge of this object "meat" and the hole "good". The different proportions of "meat and good" determined the name of the object. "Er Ya·Shi Qi" compiled in the early Han Dynasty has such an explanation: "The flesh is twice as good as the good, it is called Bi, the good is twice as flesh is called Yuan, and the flesh is as good as the good is called Huan". Few people have studied the difference in shape between them. Scholars often classify jade Yuan, jade ring, and even jade Jue as jade bi, and collectively call this kind of round jade as jade bi.

Modern crystal jewelry

The crystal bi is made of a whole piece of high-quality natural crystal. In ancient times, when there were no high-precision machines and equipment, it is hard to imagine that craftsmen could grind such a smooth, bright, transparent, and smooth-curved crystal object. In addition, this crystal ring was placed on the right side of the tomb owner's head before he was buried, which shows his love for it.

Zhao Boyan was the seventh-generation grandson of Zhao Kuangyin, the founding emperor of the Northern Song Dynasty. Among his burial objects, in addition to this crystal round bi with high purity, there was also a round bi as light as charcoal. These well-made round bi made of different materials show the elegance of Zhao Boyan's collection and also present us with a corner of the elegant Southern Song Dynasty.

Image source: Huangyan District Museum official WeChat public account

Source: Chongqing Jiulongpo District Cultural Relics Management Office

Source: Xinhuanet, China Archaeology Network, Sichuan Online

China Discipline Inspection and Supervision News, China News Service, China Social Sciences Network

"A Study on Jade Artifacts Unearthed from Fu Hao's Tomb at Yinxu" / Han Ding

"Chinese Heritage" 202108 "Crystal Wall of the Southern Song Dynasty" / Zhang Yanmin

The Paper "Seeing the artifacts is like meeting the people - meeting the many faces of Fu Hao in archaeological materials"

Huangyan District Museum official account, CCTV Finance Channel "China National Treasure Conference" program

Image sources: Photo Network, Samsung Museum official account, China Social Sciences Network

Screenshots of Hangzhou Museum's official website and CCTV program "China National Treasures Conference"

Huangyan District Museum WeChat Official Account

Audit expert: Li Xiaoying

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