Nowadays, we explore history in a much deeper way, and archaeology is undoubtedly a direct and accurate way. With the support of modern science and technology, China's archaeological work has made tremendous progress, revealing many historical civilizations and profoundly refreshing our understanding of history.
China has thousands of years of historical civilization, some of which are familiar to us, and some are precious cultural relics that have been passed down continuously. The ancients, just like today's collectors, cherished some rare antique artifacts. However, with the changes of history, many precious cultural relics have been submerged in the sea and lost their former glory.
If archaeologists find an artifact of profound historical value, they will do their best to repair or preserve it, and then display it in a museum and take care of it. However, if the cultural relics are found and placed in the open air, drifting in the wind and rain, this practice will undoubtedly raise questions. Since it's a cultural relic, why not store it carelessly?
On both sides of the ancient road of the Yellow River in the west of Puzhou City, Yongji City, Shanxi Province, there are four lifelike iron oxen, which are precious cultural relics that have been more than 1,400 years ago.
These four iron bulls are called Kaiyuan Iron Bull, or Tang Dynasty Iron Bull. The iron ox, made of iron, is comparable in size, with a length, width and height of about 19 meters, 3 meters, 13 meters. The carvings and decorations on the Iron Ox vary in form, showing a high level of craftsmanship.
Some people may be curious, where do these four iron bulls come from and what are they used for?
As we all know, the Yellow River is the mother river of the Chinese nation, and Chinese civilization was born here. For thousands of years, the Yellow River has nourished generations of Chinese sons and daughters. There are many places where people gather along the river, and there are many ferries on the Yellow River, which play an important role in connecting the two banks.
Pujindu is a famous ancient ferry port in history, but with the evolution of history, the course of the Yellow River has changed, and Pujindu has gradually become a ruin. However, in the Tang Dynasty, Pujindu was an important transportation artery connecting the first place, and successive rulers attached great importance to its management and construction.
During the reign of Emperor Wen of Sui, the imperial court ordered the construction of a pontoon bridge at Pujindu to facilitate traffic between the two sides of the river. In the thirteenth year of Kaiyuan, in order to strengthen the rule of the rear Hedong region, the Tang Dynasty's special military department Shangshu carried out a large-scale transformation of the pontoon bridge.
One of the most important changes was to change the wooden stakes that held the bridge to iron oxen cast with molten iron, and at the same time to change the bamboo ropes used for the boats to iron chains, making the pontoon bridge stronger and able to withstand the traffic of cars, horses and pedestrians. These four iron oxen are equivalent to the existence of cable piles connecting the river bridge, each weighing about 40 tons, which can bear the weight of the bridge and traffic.
This has turned the dangerous moat into a thoroughfare, which has greatly promoted the economic development of the two sides of the strait. These four iron bulls have been guarding the river, watching the passers-by. However, by the end of the Yuan Dynasty, this pontoon bridge was destroyed, but the iron ox of the "Zhenhe" still exists.
In the Ming Dynasty, due to the needs of economic development, the traffic status of Pujindu was highlighted again, and the imperial court used the original iron oxen to build a pontoon bridge. However, more than 100 years later, the Yellow River was diverted, and the original traffic status of the river section was no longer important, and Pujindu was completely abandoned.
After the vicissitudes of life, the iron ox that once stood on the shore was submerged in the river and covered by mud and sand. But during the dry winter season, the four iron oxen still emerge from the water, and in the forties of the last century, local residents were even able to touch the horns in the water. Later, after the construction of the downstream reservoir, the Yellow River Iron Ox was completely buried in the river beach.
In order to make these cultural relics see the light of day again, Yongji County** supported the local museum to excavate the iron ox. In 1989, after more than a year of investigation, the location of the Iron Bull was finally found and excavated. At the time, however, archaeologists encountered difficulties. When it comes to iron artifacts, how to protect them is a question that no global expert can accurately answer. As a result, it was only possible to lift in place and carry out regular maintenance.
Some have questioned why such a significant artifact is not stored in a museum. Experts say it's not that they don't want to, but they don't dare to move. Because of this weight of iron artefacts, it is inevitable that they may be damaged during transportation. Perhaps the best way to do this is to keep it in situ and maintain it regularly.
Even though it has been 32 years since the iron ox was unearthed, they are still standing there, only the cow is stained with rust, witnessing the vicissitudes of history. These four iron bulls seem to be the guardians of history on the riverside, watching over the legend of thousands of years.
This article takes us back to the Tang Dynasty by telling the story of the four iron oxen that stood on both sides of the ancient Yellow River road in the west of Puzhou in Yongji City, Shanxi Province, showing the key role of these iron oxen in connecting the two sides of the river and promoting economic development. From an archaeological point of view, this article reveals the process of discovery and protection of these precious cultural relics, as well as the rich historical connotations behind them.
First of all, the article highlights the tremendous progress of archaeology with the support of modern technology. Through scientific and technological means, archaeologists have been able to dig deep into historical civilizations and present us with a more intuitive and in-depth historical picture. This highlights the positive role of modern technology in historical research, allowing past artifacts and historical scenes to be restored and displayed.
Secondly, by telling the origin and use of the four iron oxen, the article cleverly introduces the reader to the historical development of the Yellow River. From the construction of Pujindu, the transformation of the pontoon bridge, to the changes of the Yellow River, the four iron oxen seem to have become witnesses of historical changes. This narrative makes it easier for readers to understand the historical value of the Iron Bull and integrate it into the larger historical context.
The article also emphasizes the importance of cultural heritage preservation. The conservation of iron artifacts has always been a global challenge, especially the damage that can be caused during transportation. Through in-situ promotion and regular maintenance, the local ** has shown a great sense of responsibility in the protection of cultural relics. This also raises some questions about the choice of the location of cultural relics, which echoes the article at the beginning of the article about the way cultural relics are stored.
Finally, when the article talks about the fact that the iron ox is still standing by the river 32 years after its excavation, it expresses the historical vicissitudes carried by these cultural relics. They seem to be witnesses of time, witnessing the vicissitudes of the Yellow River Basin over the past thousands of years. This sense of historical continuity makes the value of the Iron Bull not only a static cultural relic, but also a living historical story.
Overall, this article successfully outlines the thousand-year-old legend of the four iron bulls with vivid historical details, a combination of technology and archaeology, and the protection of cultural relics. Through this story, the reader seems to have experienced the prosperity of Pujindu in the Tang Dynasty and felt the weight of the history of the Yellow River Valley, making these iron oxen a treasure in history, rather than just a static cultural relic.
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