Where is Qin Shihuang from?
According to Xinhua News Agency, Lanzhou, September 2, experts in cultural relics and archaeology in Gansu Province recently disclosed to reporters that after more than eight years of excavation and research, the ancient tombs discovered in Dabaozi Mountain in Lixian County, Gansu Province were unanimously recognized by experts as the first cemetery of Qin Shihuang's ancestors-Xichui Cemetery; Lixian County is also recognized as the location of "West Dog Hill", the birthplace of Qin people recorded in Historical Records, an important historical book in ancient China. At this point, the two eternal mysteries in archaeology and pre-Qin history have finally come to light.
Qin Shihuang was the first person to unify China and establish a feudal dynasty in the history of China. Therefore, the development history of Qin nationality and Qin culture has also become a hot issue for many scholars at home and abroad. In 1974, after the discovery of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses in Shaanxi and the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, it caused a strong sensation at home and abroad. Many historians and archaeologists pointed out that Qin people should have four cemetery areas through the study of historical documents and archaeological discoveries, and tried to find their locations. By 1987, the second, third and fourth cemeteries among the four cemeteries of Qin people, namely Yongcheng Cemetery, Zhiyang Cemetery and Shihuang Cemetery, had been discovered successively in Shaanxi. However, it is never known where the first cemetery of Qin people-"Xichui Cemetery" is.
According to Records of the Historian Qin Benji, Qin's ancestors originally lived in the "West Dog Hill", but later they were given the title of vassal of Zhou due to their meritorious service in herding horses, and they were able to establish the State of Qin. Therefore, the "West Dog Hill" is actually the birthplace and foundation of the Qin nationality and Qin culture, and it is of great significance to find out the geographical location of the "West Dog Hill" for the study of Qin history.
In p>1993, the ancient tomb on Dabaozi Mountain in Lixian County, Gansu Province was accidentally discovered due to the indiscriminate excavation and theft by grave robbers, and some precious cultural relics were lost overseas. Gansu Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology immediately conducted an eight-month rescue excavation in Dabaozi Mountain. During the excavation, archaeologists found that the tomb of Dabaozishan is located west to east, and the head of the tomb is located east, which is exactly the same as Yongcheng Cemetery, Zhiyang Cemetery and Shihuang Cemetery. The Chinese-shaped tomb with a length of more than 1 meters also shows the characteristics of Qin people who are good at building giant tombs. A large number of bronzes, gold and jade articles have also been unearthed in these tombs, and some bronzes are clearly engraved with inscriptions such as "Ding for casting by Qin Gong" and "Gui for making treasures by Qin Gong". Geographically, the unique terrain of "two rivers and one mountain" in Dabaozi Mountain also fully conforms to the "Feng Shui" orientation of the royal cemetery in the pre-Qin period. Therefore, some historians and archaeologists have preliminarily determined that the ancient tomb of Dabaozishan is the first cemetery of Qin people, Xichui Cemetery, which has been dusted by history for more than 2, years.
In p>1998, the joint burial tomb of Qin nobles and his wife was found on the dome hill about three kilometers southeast of Qin Cemetery in Dabaozishan. Experts believe that this tomb not only provides strong evidence that the Dabaozishan ancient tomb is a Qin cemetery, but also shows that the similar tomb shape and geographical characteristics also indicate that Lixian area is the location of Qin's "West Dog Hill".
Lixian county in the southeast of Gansu province, which straddles the Yangtze River and the Yellow River, has always been an important area for early human activities and development in history. Because three of the four cemeteries of Qin people were discovered in Shaanxi, the first cemetery of Qin people was discovered in Lixian County, Gansu Province, which attracted the attention of many experts and scholars in academic circles.
Since 1994, many archaeologists have come to the conclusion that the Dabaozishan ancient tomb is the Qin cemetery after analysis and textual research. According to Zhu Zhongxi, director of the Department of History and Archaeology of Gansu Provincial Museum, experts in archaeology and history have unanimously confirmed that the ancient tomb of Dabaozishan is the Qin cemetery, and its owner may be Zhuang Gong, Xiang Gong or Wen Gong. The first cemetery of Qin is in Dabaozishan, Lixian County, and Qin's "West Dog Hill" is in Lixian County. Lixian County, Gansu Province is the real birthplace of Qin nationality and Qin culture.
Experts pointed out that the solution of the two eternal mysteries of the First Cemetery of Qin Dynasty and the "Western Dog Hill" filled the gap in the study of pre-Qin culture, and made a systematic and reliable explanation of the historical origin of Qin people's birth, development and unification of Xianyang.