50 bronze cauldrons are discovered in tomb in eastern China

Known as "ding" in Chinese, these distinctive cauldrons are believed to have been used for cooking and then became symbols of power and aristocracy during the late Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC). Remarkably, the lids of some of the cauldrons are still intact and the inside contains well-preserved relics, a rarity among similar tombs in the ancient state of Chu. This is reported by CCTV+, a partner of TV BRICS.

During the recent excavation, archaeologists carefully cleaned and extracted relics from three bronze cauldrons of different sizes, revealing vertebrae, ribs and other animal remains. Experts confirmed that the bones belonged to a year-old piglet, and also uncovered remains of various animal species including dogs, cattle, sika deer, geese, pheasants and fish.

The meticulous extraction process, which included documenting each step with photographs, provided valuable historical information about the sacrificial rituals conducted using these cauldrons.

Researchers are keen to further explore the relationship between the types of cauldrons and the sacrifices offered in them in order to better understand ancient customs and literature.