Casting light into the shadows of the past

Pits of the third type were from the Warring States Period to the Western Han Dynasty. They often contained model chariots.

A large number of gold, jade and bronze chariots from the Spring and Autumn Period, jade artifacts, bronze chariots and crossbows, arrowheads, coins and architectural items from the Qin and Han dynasties have also been found at the site.

"Many of the gold and jade artifacts are distinctively Qin-style, like gold tigers and birds, or have Qin-featured patterns, like that of a snake," says You.

The Chinese character mi can be seen when two pottery pieces unearthed from the site are pieced together. Based on historical records, and the character, archaeologists infer that the area is indeed mizhi, one of the five sacrificial sites near Yongcheng, one of the capitals of the Qin state in what is now Baoji.

The five places were jointly called yongwuzhi (five sacrificial places in the Yongcheng area), and were used to worship five mythical rulers who symbolize heaven. They were built one by one from the Spring and Autumn Period, and officially became a collective entity at the beginning of the Western Han Dynasty and functioned until its end.

Mizhi is the only one of the five sites of which there was a clear record of its specific location: to the south of the Weihe River. The site's location fits with this record, according to You.