Shanxi (Province) - Rediscover a lost kingdom from Western Zhou

Rediscover a lost kingdom from Western Zhou

CNTV-CN

Source -  http://www.kaogu.cn/en/detail.asp?ProductID=2805

So why weren't there any historic records of the Ba Kingdom until two years ago? And what kind of ancient kingdom is this?

The answers can only be told through the relics found in the large group of tombs in northern Shanxi Province.

The Ba Kingdom was a very small state covering about 225 square kilometers, only about a third the size of New York City.

The mini kingdom may have been small in size, but the findings suggest it was rich in wealth. Delicate wares made of bronze, jade, pottery and gold have been unearthed, a rare find in such great amounts in China.

As for the origin of the wealth, experts are divided. One theory depends on the Ba Kingdom's good relationship with its neighboring states, while another depends on the habit of saving. The Ba Kingdom is one of the 20 or so states of the Western Zhou Dynasty in today's Shanxi Province. It has a history of about 300 years, from the Western Zhou Dynasty to the Spring and Autumn Periods some three thousand years ago.

As for the reason of the disappearance of the small but wealthy state, experts theorize that the Kingdom might have been composed of Di ethnic people and was neglected by ancient historians who tended to focus on the Han majority. Or it might be because the Ba Kingdom's historic records simply disappeared.