Western Zhou Dynasty Site in Xizhang Village

Western Zhou Dynasty Site in Xizhang Village

The Western Zhou Dynasty site in Xizhang Village is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Western Zhou Dynasty site in Xizhang Village is locally known as "Ba Wang Gang." The site stretches 350 meters from east to west and 310 meters from north to south, covering an area of approximately 100,000 square meters. Before scientific surveys and drilling were conducted, artifacts such as bronze arrowheads and bronze belt hooks were frequently discovered here, especially the two tombs found in 1978 and 1982 (Tomb 1 and Tomb 2), which yielded important relics such as inscribed bronze ware, jade artifacts, and chariot and horse fittings. In 1978, through drilling at the site and analysis of collected artifacts, it was determined that the site’s cultural layers span the late Western Zhou to the Eastern Zhou periods. Both Tomb 1 and Tomb 2 are located in the central part of the site. Among the burial objects, the most valuable are the inscribed bronze vessels such as ding (tripods), zun (wine vessels), you (wine containers), and gui (food vessels). Their inscriptions reveal the geographical location of the ? State during the early Zhou period, confirming the territory of the Xing Marquisate established at the beginning of the Zhou dynasty, as well as the relationship between the Xing State and the Northern Rong tribes. Two Chen Jian gui vessels, one from Tomb 1 and the other from Tomb 2, are identical in shape, size, decoration, and inscription layout. They were likely cast from the same mold and later buried separately in Tomb 1 and Tomb 2. The inner bottom of the gui vessels bears inscriptions, some of which have become blurred or illegible due to heavy corrosion. Currently, 59 characters are legible. The main content reads: “The Rong people launched a major attack on the ? territory. The Xing Marquis fought against the Rong and ordered Chen Jian to lead… a sub-unit to station in the ?…” Two Shu ? (Note: “?” is a substitute character. The original character should be the “走” radical with an additional “?” character on the right. The same applies below.) Fu you vessels were unearthed from Tomb 1. They are identical in shape and decoration but differ in size. Each has eight lines of inscriptions on the inside of the lid and the base of the body, with exactly the same text. It roughly means: “Shu ? Fu, due to old age and frail health, found it difficult to manage state affairs. He instructed his younger brother You to conduct himself with prudence and had this wine vessel made for him to entertain the lord, the Xing Marquis, and to host envoys.”

The ? State is not recorded in historical documents and was first brought to light through the discovery of these bronze artifacts. There have been various and controversial theories about the original location of the Xing State. These bronze inscriptions clearly record that the Rong people launched a large-scale attack in the ? E River basin within today’s Yuanshi County, and that the Xing Marquis led troops into battle. This strongly proves that the Xing State was originally located in present-day Xingtai, Hebei. The Northern Rong tribes had existed since the Western Zhou period, and the history of the Xing State has always been intertwined with the Rong and Di tribes. The "Book of the Later Han, Account of the Western Qiang" states: “…two years later, the Xing Marquis decisively defeated the Northern Rong.” The Rong mentioned in the Chen Jian gui are also believed to be the Northern Rong.

During the pre-Qin period, the Shijiazhuang region saw frequent interactions among various ethnic groups and the successive establishment of many feudal states. This area has a rich and complex history. The unearthing of these bronze artifacts fills gaps in the written records and is of great significance for the study of Western Zhou history. In May 2013, it was designated as part of the seventh batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units by the State Council.

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Hebei Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units