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Chapter 423 - 423: World Shocked! The Unacknowledged Xia Dynasty! Confirmed! (2)
Chapter 423 - 423: World Shocked! The Unacknowledged Xia Dynasty! Confirmed! (2)
Chapter 423: World Shocked! The Unacknowledged Xia Dynasty! Confirmed! (2)
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
After all, the Zhou Dynasty superseded the Shang Dynasty. Had they incorporated the Shang’s extensive human sacrifice, how then could they differentiate themselves from their predecessors?
Ultimately, if humanity does not evolve novel civilizations and systems, the only future is one of being overthrown and being replaced.
As this was a sacrificial site, the discovery of oracle bones was, indeed, anticipated.
“Professor Gu, could you join me here? I’ve unearthed a collection of oracle bones!”
“Oracle bones, you say? Which dynasty do they hail from? The Shang Dynasty, or the early Zhou Dynasty perhaps?”
At this, Gu Santong could not contain his palpable excitement.
“It appears we have both. The stratum of bodies above significantly varies from the one below. The upper layer hails from the Zhou Dynasty, the lower from the Shang Dynasty!” Luo Feng explained.
“Very well, I’ll be right there. I’ll call you back in a jiff!”
Oracle bones exceeded Gu Santong’s archaeological purview.
His comprehension in this field was admittedly lacking.
“Old Li, didn’t you oversee the excavation at the Yin ruins?” Gu Santong promptly located a man in his mid-fifties,
“Hmm, what seems to be the issue?” Old Li grunted in response, offering a nod of acknowledgement.
“Little Luo has uncovered some oracle bones near the shore. He suggests they’re from the Shang and Zhou Dynasties. Could you perhaps deploy a team to investigate?” Gu Santong proposed.
“Are we certain these are oracle bones from the Yin Shang Dynasty? Where were they found?” Old Li was instantly intrigued.
“Probably around our current dig site in Taihang Mountain. As for the legitimacy of the oracle bones, Little Luo’s judgements are typically trustworthy. However, to achieve absolute certainty, it would be best for you to inspect them personally,” Gu Santong responded.
Ultimately, the decision rests with you.
Should you choose not to proceed, you risk missing out on a monumental discovery — that is, of course, entirely your prerogative.
You ask of the legitimacy of the claims?
Sorry friend, I too, have not seen the bones myself..
“Alright, I’ll investigate!” Old Li quickly assented, “Ask him for his exact location. I’ll head there directly!”
“Very well, hold on!” Gu Santong nodded and turned to leave, “Also, bring additional manpower. According to Little Luo, it’s likely a site where the Yin Shang and Zhou Dynasties conducted sacrificial rites. There are a vast number of bodies!”
“Haha, oracle bones, you say? Naturally, they must be accompanied by bodies!” Old Li nodded, exuding an air of expertise.
Meanwhile, Luo Feng carefully set the oracle bones aside and resumed his excavation.
Suddenly, a system ping sounded, revealing a singular, cryptic question mark as his spade dug into the earth.
[ You have discovered ? ]
Luo Feng discerned an anomaly — it wasn’t a body.
Nor did it resemble a tomb.
It seemed more akin to a rock.
Swiftly, Luo Feng proceeded to clear the surrounding soil.
An artifact of indeterminate color, visibly warped, was unveiled.
The object retained half of its initial form.
Extracting the artifact, which measured approximately thirty centimeters in length, Luo Feng gasped.
“Good heavens! This is an artifact shaped like a human head!”
Luo Feng was taken aback by the sight.
Was it truly a human head?
Presumably, it was a ceremonial artifact, correct?
Luo Feng relocated the item at a distance and moved on to another area to continue his work.
Roughly three hours later,
He had managed to excavate about one-third of the region.
[ Ding! You’ve unearthed a tortoise shell! ]
Another tortoise shell had been discovered.
Luo Feng gently brushed away the soil.
A tortoise shell, bearing irregular cracks, emerged.
The inscriptions varied in design but were approximately uniform in size.
All were laden with text and intricate designs.
Luo Feng proceeded with the excavation.
Numerous additional tortoise shells lay nearby, each inscribed with oracle bone script.
He soon realized he had stumbled upon a burial site for oracle bones.
Although sacrificial rites may seem random, they followed a rigorous procedure.
This included heating the tortoise shells, engaging in battle, engraving the script, executing the killing, performing the sacrifice, and ultimately burying the body.
Each step is executed with meticulous precision; every word must be perfectly scribed.
Within hours, news of Luo Feng’s discovery of oracle bones had swept across society.
Promptly, a helicopter descended upon Luo Feng’s excavation site.
Old Li, leading a team of dozens, disembarked.
“Professor Li, greetings!” Luo Feng offered.
“Mm, Mr. Luo, a pleasure!” Old Li reciprocated. He quickly stooped to scrutinize the tortoise shells. After a brief evaluation, he declared enthusiastically, “Fantastic, fantastic. These are indeed oracle bones from the late Shang Dynasty and the early Zhou Dynasty!”
Luo Feng expressed surprise, “Professor Li, you identified them so swiftly!”
“Indeed, I’ve had significant engagement with oracle bones. Some things can be discerned at first glance!” Old Li chuckled, radiating an aura of pride.
Next, Old Li browsed through photographs of tortoise shells on his phone. “Following years of research, I’ve segregated the oracle bone script into four eras. The distinctions are evident in the text. Here is a piece of oracle bone we found at the Yin ruins’ shore, it’s representative of late Shang Dynasty script.
The calligraphy of this period exhibits vigor, indicating a cultural resurgence.
Now, observe what you’ve excavated—unmistakably from the reign of King
Xin, or perhaps the early Zhou Dynasty.”
“The most prominent evidence is the vermilion ink on the scripts— It’s highly conspicuous!”
Upon hearing this, Luo Feng inspected more closely. Indeed, there were remnants of vermilion ink. Such details could easily be overlooked without careful scrutiny.
Old Li continued, “Vermilion-filled text is a characteristic we’ve only observed on oracle bones from the late Shang Dynasty and early Zhou Dynasty.. The script from this era was mature, and the art had reached its zenith — It represents a remarkable chapter in the history of writing!”