The Zhen Mountain Wu-Chu Aristocratic Tomb Cluster

The Zhen Mountain Wu-Chu Aristocratic Tomb Cluster

The Zhen Mountain Wu-Chu Aristocratic Tomb Cluster is a cultural relic protection unit of Suzhou City.

Zhen Mountain is located northwest of Hushuguan Town and consists of two mountain ranges: Greater Zhen Mountain and Lesser Zhen Mountain. A 1992 survey discovered a total of 57 earthen mound tombs on Zhen Mountain. The Spring and Autumn Period tomb on Zhen Mountain is situated on the main peak of Greater Zhen Mountain, which stands 76.9 meters high. Excavated between 1994 and 1995, the tomb chamber is located right at the center of the main peak, carved as a rectangle from beneath the bedrock of the mountain. The tomb opening measures 13.8 meters east to west and approximately 8 meters north to south. Despite having been looted, a total of 12,573 artifacts were unearthed, including jade facial masks, rings (yuàn), covers (zhào), ritual objects (?), dagger-axes (gē), hooks, ornaments, primitive porcelain lidded bowls and jars, stamped hard pottery urns and jars, sand-tempered brown pottery three-legged vessels, as well as shells and turquoise shell-shaped ornaments. Based on the tomb’s structure and the artifacts found, it is speculated to be the tomb of King Shoumeng of Wu.

The Chu tombs are distributed on Lesser Zhen Mountain, which stands 32.2 meters high. The tombs were carved into the mountain, and although they were damaged by quarry blasting, the surviving eastern and northern walls show that the chambers were constructed with considerable regularity. Artifacts unearthed include bronze tripods, helmets, dagger-axes, wine vessels (zūn), swords, jade objects, and seals. Significantly, one bronze seal was inscribed with the characters “Shàng Xiāng Bāng Xǐ” (上相邦玺, roughly “Seal of the Prime Minister of the State”). Research suggests that the tomb’s occupant may have been Lord Chunshen. According to Records of the Grand Historian – Biography of Lord Chunshen: “In the first year of King Kaolie’s reign, Huang Xie was appointed as prime minister and granted the title of Lord Chunshen, along with eleven commanderies north of the Huai River. Fifteen years later, Huang Xie said to the King of Chu: ‘The region north of the Huai is adjacent to Qi, and affairs there are urgent. I request that it be made a commandery under direct governance.’ He then offered all eleven commanderies north of the Huai and petitioned to be enfeoffed in Jiangdong. King Kaolie agreed, and Lord Chunshen rebuilt the old capital of Wu, making it his own seat of power.” The Yuejue Shu – Account of the Wu Region states: “Lord Chunshen was the prime minister of King Kaolie of Chu. After the king’s death, King You ascended the throne and enfeoffed Lord Chunshen in Wu. Three years later, King You summoned Lord Chunshen to serve as the prime minister of Chu. Lord Chunshen then sent his son to govern Wu as acting lord. In the eleventh year, King You summoned the acting lord, and both he and Lord Chunshen were killed. The two lords governed Wu for a total of fourteen years.” Considering the scale, style, burial customs, unearthed items, time period, and historical texts, the three tombs are arranged in a triangular formation, believed to be those of Lord Chunshen, his wife, and his son, who were all killed together. Therefore, it is suspected to be the tomb of Lord Chunshen.