3,100 year old bronze ritual bowls discovered in China

Stunning bronze 'soup bowls' and other cooking pots have been discovered inside a 3,100-year-old tomb in China.

Credit: Chinese Cultural Relics

The food vessels, which are covered intricate designs, were found alongside a badly decomposed body believed to belong to a Zhou warrior chief.

Along with other relics found at the site, dubbed Tomb M4, the 'tureen' style dishes are thought to have been the spoils of war, taken from the rival Shang dynasty.

Credit: Chinese Cultural Relics

Researchers from the Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology in China made the discovery in Baoji City. Around 57 tombs were found during excavations that started in 2012.

Construction workers uncovered bronze vessels while they were building houses in the area, leading archaeologists to take interest.

Credit: Chinese Cultural Relics

Experts believe many of the vessels were used in religious or burial rituals, rather than for eating. Their quality suggests the person buried inside the tomb was of noble status.

In an article published in the journal Chinese Cultural Relics, Zhankui Wang, who led the dig, said: 'The occupant of Tomb M4 was most likely of elite status, and could potentially be a high ranking chief or the spouse of a chief.

Credit: Chinese Cultural Relics

'After conquering the Shang dynasty, the Zhou king distributed the plundered war spoils to the military officers with great achievements, and these spoils usually included bronze vessels.'

The Zhou dynasty followed the Shang dynasty and preceded the Qin dynasty and lasted longer than any other in Chinese history.

Credit: Chinese Cultural Relics

The Zhou and Shang dynasties co-existed for many years, before falling into fighting in the 11th Century BC.

The military control of China by the Ji royal house lasted from 1046 until 771 BC for a period known as the Western Zhou.

Credit: Chinese Cultural Relics

Centralised power decreased throughout the Spring and Autumn (770 to 476 BC) and Warring States periods (475 to 221 BC).

During these eras, the Zhou court had little control over constituent states that were at war with each other until the Qin state consolidated power and formed the Qin Dynasty in 221 BC.

Credit: Chinese Cultural Relics

The Zhou Dynasty had formally collapsed only 35 years earlier, although the dynasty had had only nominal power at that point.

The bowls and other items include a four-handled tureen, which were often used to serve soup.

Credit: Chinese Cultural Relics

It is decorated with 192 spikes, as well as engravings of dragons, birds and 24 images of cows.

Two separate wine vessels shaped like a deer were also found inside.

Credit: Chinese Cultural Relics

A few of the vessels hold inscriptions that include the names of different Shang clans.

The Zhou may have seized the bronze vessels during the war and given them to the person who was buried in the tomb,

Author: Tim Collins | Source: Daily Mail [December 15, 2017]