Editor's note: Confirmed by historic documents, archaeological excavations and oracle bone inscriptions as the capital site of the late Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC), Yinxu or the Yin Ruins is usually regarded as the cornerstone of the project on tracing the origins of Chinese civilization launched by China in 2001. As a key component of world civilization, it has provided solid evidence for the continuity and pluralistic and integrated pattern of Chinese civilization, bringing recorded Chinese history nearly 1,000 years earlier than previously believed. Starting on October 25, we are launching a series of videos about Yinxu to help you gain a deeper understanding of it. Here is the sixth episode: Tomb of China's First Female General, Fu Hao.
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The tomb of Fu Hao, situated in the southwest of the palace and temple area of Yinxu or the Yin Ruins, was first discovered in 1976. It is the only royal tomb in the history of Yinxu archaeology that remains intact and corroborates with contemporary written records on oracle bones, whose date and tomb occupant can be identified. Fu Hao, consort of King Wu Ding (?-1192 BC), is the first female general in the history of China who oversaw domestic activities and external military affairs. Her tomb contains 1,928 burial objects, including more than 460 bronze vessels and over 750 jade objects. There are also 6,800 shellmoney that have been discovered. In the eyes of archaeological experts, the burial objects in the tomb of Fu Hao are of "exceptional aesthetic quality". Its discovery astounded archaeologists in China and across the world. The tomb of Fu Haois one of the most important archaeological findings since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.
