What exactly has been found in the tomb of Marquis Zeng? Are "Zeng Guo" and "Sui Guo" really the same country?
One summer in 1978, a group of farmers in Suizhou, Hubei Province, accidentally discovered an ancient tomb while cultivating land in the Drum Dun area. They opened the door of the tomb curiously, but they were stunned: the tomb was full of all kinds of bronzes, large and small, thick and thin, round and square, light and dark, real and empty, sound and none, text and pictures, tangible and meaningful, useful and beautiful. They didn't know the origin and value of these bronzes, but they thought they were novel, so they began to take some at will. Just as they were about to continue, a conservation volunteer noticed their actions and immediately reported it to the local cultural relics department. The antiquities department quickly dispatched experts and staff to carry out rescue excavations and protection of the ancient tomb. This ancient tomb is the famous tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng.
The tomb of Marquis Yi is a large brick tomb in the Warring States period, and the owner of the tomb is Marquis Yi, the monarch of Zeng. The State of Zeng was a vassal state during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, located in the area of Suizhou in present-day Hubei, and had close ties with the State of Chu. The discovery of the tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng is a major event in the history of Chinese archaeology and a miracle in the history of world culture. Because this tomb contains a large number of precious cultural relics, the most striking of which is a set of chimes composed of 65 chimes and 32 chimes. This set of chime instruments is currently the largest, most complete, most exquisite and oldest chime instrument in the world, which is the representative heritage of ancient Chinese culture and the crystallization of human wisdom. This set of chime instruments is not only beautiful in shape, exquisite in craftsmanship, rich in inscriptions, but also beautiful in timbre, accurate in rhythm, wide in range, able to play a variety of tunes and melodies, is an unparalleled work of art and technology. Known as the "Eighth Wonder of the World", this set of chimes is included in the Memory of the World Register and is known as "China's National Treasure".
In addition to the chime musical instruments, the tomb of Marquis Yi also unearthed a variety of other bronze vessels, such as Ding, Gui, Xu, Yao, Ji, Gong, Pot, Plate, Yu, Xuan, Xuan, etc., a total of 15,404 pieces. Some of these bronzes are daily life vessels, some are sacrificial ritual vessels, some are weapons and chariot and horse vessels, some are funeral items, and some are astronomical calendar vessels. The shape, ornamentation, inscriptions, and functions of these bronzes all reflect the high development of the social system, political economy, culture and art, science and technology, and show the glorious civilization of the Zeng Kingdom. Some of these bronzes also have special innovations and inventions, such as the Zeng Hou Yi Bronze Jian, a double-layer container that can keep heat and refrigerate, is considered to be the earliest "refrigerator" and "oven", and it is also the design prototype of the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games; Zeng Hou Yi bronze jian, a kind of round artifact that can reflect light, is considered to be the earliest "mirror" and "telescope"; The inscription on the bronze seal of the Marquis of Zeng is a long text that records the history of the Zeng Kingdom and the astronomical calendar, and is considered to be the earliest "chronicle" and "almanac".
The discovery of the tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng has made people marvel at the cultural achievements of Zeng Guo and also made people curious about the historical identity of Zeng Guo. Because in the historical documents handed down, there is almost no mention of the country of Zeng, and there are only some sporadic records. In these records, the name of Zeng Guo is confused with Suiguo, which makes people confused. Suiguo was a vassal state during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, located in the area of Suizhou in today's Hubei, and had close ties with the Chu State. The monarch of Suiguo once participated in the dispute between Chu and Han and supported Liu Bang, and was later named King Sui by Liu Bang and became a vassal king of the Han Dynasty. The capital of Suiguo is in today's Suizhou City, and the tomb of Zeng Hou Yi is also near Suizhou City. So, what is the relationship between Zeng Guo and Sui Guo? Are they different names for the same country, or are they two different countries?
1. The geographical location and scope of Zeng and Sui are basically the same. According to the records of the "Historical Records of Suibenji" and "Historical Records of Chu Benji" and other documents, the capitals of Zeng and Suiguo were in the urban area of today's Suizhou, and the territories of Zeng and Suiguo included today's Suizhou, Jingmen, Xiangyang, Xiaogan and other places, which were adjacent to Chu. This is also confirmed by archaeological finds in these areas, where the tombs and sites of the Zeng and Sui kingdoms are scattered and are similar in style and features.
2. The historical period and development process of Zeng and Sui are basically the same. According to the records of the "Historical Records of Sui Ben Ji" and "Historical Records of Chu Ben Ji" and other documents, the history of Zeng and Sui can be traced back to the Western Zhou Dynasty, both were feudal vassal states of the Zhou royal family, both were vassal states of Chu State, both participated in the war against Qin, both supported Liu Bang in the dispute between Chu and Han, and both were made princes and kings by Liu Bang, and both were destroyed in the Western Han Dynasty. This is also confirmed by archaeological discoveries from these historical events, with tombs and sites in both the Zeng and Sui states reflecting these historical changes, and both of them were influenced by the Chu and Han dynasties.
3. The culture and art of Zeng and Sui are basically the same. According to the records of "Historical Records: Sui Ben Ji" and "Historical Records: Chu Ben Ji" and other documents, the culture of Zeng and Sui Guo was influenced by Chu State, both had a strong Chu style and Chu rhyme, both were good at the production of ** and bronze, and both had unique writing and calendars. The archaeological discoveries of these cultural characteristics also confirm this, and a large number of Chu cultural and artistic heritages have been unearthed from the tombs and sites of Zeng and Suiguo, such as the bell and musical instruments of the tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng, the inscription and calendar of the bronze Jianyi of Marquis Yi, and the Chu-style brick chamber tomb of the tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng.
To sum up, Zeng Guo and Suiguo are different names for the same country, Zeng Guo is the self-name of one's own country, and Suiguo is the customary name of other countries. This conclusion not only provides a historical background and cultural connotation for the discovery of the tomb of Marquis Yi, but also provides a new perspective and data for the study of ancient Chinese history and culture. The story of Zeng Guo and Sui Guo is a history worthy of our in-depth exploration and inheritance, and it is also a culture worthy of our admiration and learning.