Rammed earth may not sound like a riveting subject to you, but to archaeologists it's gold! The discovery of an ancient sacrificial site in northern Shaanxi Province is yielding fascinating insights into nomadic cultures of the time.
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They are located at the south and north of the main city ruins of Tongwan.
But the objects of sacrifice might be different [Credit: CCTV] |
The rammed earth works were dug out near the ruins of Tongwan, capital of the northern nomad Xia Kingdom in the Fifth-Century AD, and date from the same period, according to archaeologists.
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From the shape and structure of the ruins, we believe they
are for sacrificial use [Credit: CCTV] |
"From the shape and structure of the ruins, we believe they are for sacrificial use. They are located at the south and north of the main city ruin. But the objects of sacrifice might be different," said Xing Fulai, archaeological team of Tongwan.
The find accords with customs of the time, which used sacrificial podiums at the south and north of a city. Further excavations will shed more light on the difference in customs between northern nomads and Han people in ancient times.
Source: CCTV [October 31, 2015]
