King Cuo of Zhongshan

Han Characters of King Cuo's name in modern Chinese written form

King Cuo of Zhongshan (323-309 BC) was the fifth ruler of the state of Zhongshan during the Warring States period in ancient China. He reigned for 15 years.

As the son of Duke Cheng of Zhongshan, he inherited the state from his father and expanded it to its peak size. He attacked Yan to the north and Zhao to the south and expanded his territory to nearly double what he inherited. His new gains from Zhao broke the state of Zhao into North and South pieces, laying the future cause for the state of Zhao to destroy the country.

Tomb of King Cuo of Zhongshan

The Tomb of King Cuo of Zhongshan is an archaeological site located in Sanji, Pingshan, Hebei, China. The tomb was built near the ancient city of Lingshou (靈壽) on the Hutuo River. The tomb contained the burial of King Cuo.

Initially, farmers discovered a large river rock inscribed in archaic (large seal) characters during the 1940s or 1950s and stored it for several decades. In the early 1970s, local artifact administrators received news of this rock and examined it. A copy was sent to Li Xueqin, a renowned expert on ancient Chinese writing. He immediately recognized its importance. The inscription was about two men, Gongsheng De and Jiujiang Man, who were servants and fishers during the king's life and later guarded his tomb after his death. Later, the king was known to be King Cuo from inscriptions on bronze ware.

The plans for the tomb complex was engraved on a bronze diagram found inside the tomb (this is the earliest architectural drawing known from ancient China). The original plan was designed to house five tomb complexes (xiangtang 饗堂) in a row, with the tomb of the king in the center, flanked by tombs of two queens, then flanked by outer tombs of two consorts; the tomb complex was never completed as designed.

The site was excavated in the 1970s. Although the central burial chamber had already been looted in antiquity, archaeologists were still able to uncover hundreds of bronze, jade, lacquer and pottery artifacts. Six others were buried alongside the king. Two horse and chariot pits were included in King Cuo's burial complex. Three boats were uncovered, and an underground canal linked the tomb to the Hutuo River.

The style and usage of bronze artifacts underwent a drastic change during the fourteenth year of King Cuo's reign. Among the changes was a de-emphasis on ritual bronze vessels and a new focus on luxury bronze objects. A bronze vessel from the tomb recorded a previously unrecorded invasion of Yan during that year that may have contributed to the change in style; some archaeologists believe that the new techniques may have been introduced by Yan artisans or copied from looted Yan bronzes.[1] The new technique included the use of inlaid silver and gold onto bronze objects, often portraying mythical beasts.

Notes

  1. ↑ Wu, pp. 599-600

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