Discovery of tomb and remains suspected to belong to Cao Cao
A team of archaeologists concluded that the male remains in a tomb in Henan, China are Cao Cao.
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A statue of Cao Cao was built in Xuchang city, Henan province. Photo:SCMP. |
Experts at the Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology of Henan Province have concluded that the remains of an adult man in his 60s found in a cemetery in central China is Cao Cao.South China Morning PostCao Cao was an outstanding military politician during the Three Kingdoms period (220-280), famous for his commanding talent.
A team of archaeologists discovered the remains of a large mausoleum consisting of two structures and a tunnel during excavations in 2016-2017. They said such a large mausoleum was quite unusual in ancient times, demonstrating Cao Cao's great power.
According to historical documents, before his death, Cao Cao ordered his tomb to be built discreetly, without a tombstone. Zhou Ligang, the researcher in charge of the archaeological project, speculated that Cao Pi, Cao Cao's successor, did not follow his last wish and built a large cemetery to commemorate his father's achievements and fulfill his filial duty.
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The main chamber of the mausoleum is believed to belong to Cao Cao. Photo:SCMP. |
But experts believe Cao Pi later ordered the tomb destroyed to prevent people with grudges against Cao Cao from digging up the tomb. This also helps explain why the team did not find large fragments at the site.
"The destruction of the mausoleum was not an act of revenge but was pre-planned," Zhou said. "If the structure had been destroyed by Cao Cao's enemies, there would have been a lot of debris on the site, but that did not happen."
Cao Pi likely ordered all the debris to be cleared away, according to Zhou. The discovery helps support the theory that the adult male remains in the main chamber of the mausoleum belonged to Cao Cao. A smaller tomb found near the main chamber is believed to be that of Cao Cao's eldest son, Gao Ang, who died in battle as a young man.
Zhou and his colleagues are trying to identify two women buried in the same tomb as Cao Cao. Historical records indicate that Cao Cao was buried with his wife, who died in her 70s. However, one of the women was in her 50s and the other in her 20s. According to Zhou, a museum is being built at the site to display the artifacts, expected to be completed within the next three years.
