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The Location of ‘Ruins of Zhengjiawazi’

 Ruins of Zhengjiawazi  |  Shimyang Station  |  Number is the excavation point

The Ruins of Zhengjiawazi is located in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China. About 10 km southwest of Shenyang Station, you can see the museum with a sign 'Zhengjiawazi Bronze Short Sword Tomb Exhibition Hall'. Historians and archaeologists who major in Gojoseon estimate it as a tomb where the head of Gojoseon is buried in the 6th and 5th centuries BC.

Gojoseon first appeared in the ancient Chinese literature 『Guanzi(管子)』. The book records the conversation between Duke Huan of Qi and Guan Zhong (?~BC 645). In that part, it can be seen that the special product of Gojoseon was the leather of the patterned animal. Around the 7th century BC, Gojoseon was a great force to interact with Qi. However, the date of the tomb found in the Ruins of Zhengjiawazi coincides with this period. The tomb was built from the 6th century BC. Therefore, the people buried here are those who lived in Shenyang area before that.

1. The restored M6512, and artifacts excavated there

2. The boots excavated

3. A picture of the excavated boots restored

A Senior elite man buried with more than 900 artifacts

In the remains, a lot of bronze tools such as lute-shaped bronze dagger, fan-shaped bronze axe, various accessories, and chariot fittings, as well as a large amount of earthenware and stoneware were excavated. And several types of tombs were found, including pit grave which used wooden coffins, jar burials which used jars as coffins instead of wood coffins, and wooden-chamber tombs which were made of wooden boards. Among them, the tomb with large burial chambers and many burial accessors is where the elite of the ruling class is buried.

Academic circles believe that the elite buried in this tomb was the head of the Gojoseon. The status of Gojoseon recorded in 『Guanzi』 is considered to be well matched with the status of the elite seen in the tomb of Zhengjiawazi. The tomb of the highest-ranking elite is the M6512. The width of the burial chamber is 3m and the length is 5m. They made the outer walls of the burial chamber with wooden boards, and made wooden coffin to lay the bodies. The length of wooden coin is 2m, similar to that used by modern people.

The bones of a person from inside a wooden coffin were found to be men over 50 years old. The man was buried with more than 400 bronzes, including various weapons, colorful and elaborate accessories, decorations for horse, accessories of cart, and mirrors. There are about 900 pieces of earthenware, stoneware, bone tools made of animal bones or horns(骨角器). On the edge of the burial chamber, bones of animals buried with the dead were also excavated. This means that even if there is no such thing as gold crown excavated from Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla royal tombs, the person buried here was the head of Gojoseon.

(left) Zhengjiawazi Bronze Short Sword Tomb Exhibition Hall, filmed in 2004

(right) The current appearance of the Exhibition Hall 

Exhibition hall built on remains excavated by North Korea and China together

The survey of the remains began in 1958; it was completed in 1962 and 1964–1965. North Korea unearths with China, and it is a meaningful historical site in many ways. In addition, the remains are located south of Hunhe(渾河), which is estimated to be Huishui(浿水), the boundary between the Gojoseon and Han Dynasty. In the Han Dynasty era, after Gojoseon was taken by Yan for 2,000 li(里) to the west. Therefore, for the Gojoseon during the period when this remains were built, this place would have been close to the center of life. Unfortunately, no dwellings or village remains were found where the people buried in this tomb would have lived. However, the ancients had built a cemetery near the village, so there must have been a village nearby.

Currently, the Zhengjiawazi Bronze Short Sword Tomb Exhibition Hall is built on this ruins. NAHF has visited this place several times to identify the situation being managed. However, the original appearance of the ruins can not be found, and only one tomb is restored in the exhibition room. The exhibition hall was first opened in 1985 but was closed since 2003 due to redevelopment. So we had to look inside through the window. But roads and parks were built around, and reopened in May 2016. The old building was decorated with lute-shaped bronze daggers and bronze mirrors on the exterior. So everyone could recognize that it was the ruins of Gojoseon.

A picture of the Exhibition Hall, which restored the lives of the Zhengjiawazi people. 

The murals depict the weapons of the Qin Dynasty.

Exhibitions with the eletion of indigenous culture

At the entrance of the exhibition hall, a huge sculpture in the form of lute-shaped bronze daggers is erected. The restored Tomb M6512 is in the exhibition room to the east. They reenacted the excavation of the artifacts realistically. Most artifacts are replicas. However, when you watch the exhibition, you soon notice that there are many awkward parts. In a picture showing the lives of Zhengjiawazi people, Qin Dynasty's weapons and wagons were drawn, not indigenous culture. The panel describing artifacts used the term 'Northeast Bronze Daggers' instead of the official term 'Lute-shaped Bronze Daggers'. There are phrases that emphasize local culture influenced by Zhonghua.

The historical perception of China's Northeast Project is considered to be 'everything has developed under the influence of China'. This is destroying the identity and uniqueness of the Zhengjiawazi people. The anachronistic cultural hegemonism of the Chinese government ignores cultural interactions and dismisses them as 'one-sided benefits'. This is not different from modern-day diffusionism. We know that the 19th century diffusionism resulted in distortions of history, and actually led to violence.