Exploring the Ancient Mysteries of Yin Xu: Where History and Archaeology Come to Life

#chinatrip #henan #yinxu #archeology #china_history #100waysoftravel As passionate lovers of Chinese history and archaeology, our most anticipated destination was undoubtedly the Yin Xu in Anyang. Yin Xu, the ancient capital of the late Shang Dynasty, is famous for being the site where the earliest Chinese script, the oracle bone inscriptions, was discovered. It’s also the cradle of Shang Dynasty bronze civilization. The royal tombs at Yin Xu are especially worth a visit. 🎫🎟️The entrance ticket to the Yin Xu site includes admission to the royal tombs, and there’s a free shuttle service to take visitors back and forth. We explored several key exhibitions: 📌M260 Tomb Exhibition Hall – Located in the southern part of the eastern royal tomb area, this “jia”-shaped tomb is where the famous national treasure, the Simuwu Ding, was unearthed. The tomb also contained 22 human skulls buried together in the tomb’s filling. 📌Chariot and Horse Pit Exhibition Hall – This hall showcases the remains of two chariots and horses, with detailed displays explaining the structure, harnessing techniques, and uses of the ancient chariots. 📌Burial Exhibition Hall – Compared to the human skulls displayed at the China Archaeology Museum, the burial pits here are even more shocking and somber. The sacrificial pits, known as "row burial pits," are neatly arranged, with each group representing a separate sacrificial event. Most pits contained sacrificial human remains, including those buried alive or killed before burial. The sacrifices were mainly prisoners of war, with some being slaves. The sight of the countless bones conveys a chilling reminder of a time when brutality overshadowed civilization.