Cao Cao's Tomb: Ancient Secrets of the Three Kingdoms

Good morning, the Mysteries of China series continues with a look at another tomb.  This time Agnes is looking at the tomb of Cao Cao and the controversy surrounding Cao Cao.  The run time for this episode is 44:01.

In Anyang, a discovery set shockwaves through the archeological world.  Many archeologists believe that it belonged to Cao Cao.  Cao Cao was one of the most divisive leaders in all of China.  Some believed him to be a good leader.  Others believe him to be a cruel and ruthless military leader.  Others called him a brilliant scholar.  He took center stage in the era known as the Three Kingdoms, a period characterized by three factions rising up to fight for control of China.  Who was this man really?  What can this tomb reveal about his leadership?

Nearly 1800 years ago, China was at a crossroads.  There arose different factions as the dynasty collapsed.  Each faction fought hard for control.  Over thirty million lives were lost in the fighting.  There were many heroes and villains produced during this fight.  In 2009, Anyang, archeologists discover a tomb that dates back to this time.  Could this tomb be the final resting place of one of the most controversial figures in China?  This discovery put Anyang on center stage because of this discovery.

The discovery of the potential tomb of Cao Cao stirred up debate about this man.  He was a statesman that rose up during the period known as the Three Kingdoms.  However, his legacy continues to divide historians.  He was in command of one of the three factions fighting for control of China when the Han collapsed.  In contemporary literature was a man who overturned the will of heaven and was portrayed as the devil.  What is fact and what is fiction?

Agnes travels to Anyang and talks with the head of the excavation team.  The tomb was built to be huge and imposing, hinting that the man held a great deal of power.  The tomb would have befitted an emperor.  Agnes descends into the tomb and carefully looks at the features.  There were several rooms in the crypt that would have hinted at the man’s status.  However, over the years, tomb robbers would take things away that would have identified the man in the tomb and his status.  That said, Agnes carefully looks at the bricks that were used to make the tomb.  The bricks are huge compared to those used for normal aristocratic burials.  She continues to examine the tomb with the head of the excavation team.  Together they look at the site of a stone bed where a coffin would lay on it.

Cao Cao has been vilified over the centuries for seizing power from the legitimate emperor.  The tomb suggests that the man had a great deal of power.  Did he really cause the collapse of the Han Dynasty?  The Han Dynasty was in its final days when Cao Cao rose up.  However, there were plenty of tensions under the surface during this collapse.  The empire was fragmenting and the leadership seemed incapable of ruling.  Cao Cao would have put down the rebellions that were rising because of the stability.  The Chinese needed a strong leader to get their footing back.  The Han capital was sacked by warlords and the walls were burned.  Cao Cao would flee the city to gather an army to take control.

So was Cao Cao really the owner of the tomb?  What remains of the artifacts found in the tomb?  Everyday items remained in the tomb because they were of no value to the tomb robbers.  There were twelve sets of bowls found, which would have hinted that an Emperor was buried there.  Historical document hint that there was no emperor buried in Anyang.   There were also jade ritual items and stone tablets found that would have hinted at who the man in the tomb was.  What other clues were discovered in the tomb to hint at who occupied it?  Tune into the rest of this episode to find out more about Cao Cao.

Well, this was an interesting episode featuring a controversial historical person.  I enjoyed watching Agnes uncover the clues about this man in her attempt to separate fact from fiction.  Over all this would be a good episode to potentially show in a history class and for independent study students.