Archaeological finds gathered over several decades are being shown in an exhibition at the Capital Museum in Beijing. "Exploration of the Ancient Mystery" has assembled over two-hundred cultural relics in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the founding of New China.

The collective showing includes 260 items excavated over the years and on loan from 25 museums around the country. When seen together, the exhibits weave a connective thread through the illustrious five-thousand-year-old history of China.

The exhibits are said to represent the numerous archaeological sites scattered across the vast Chinese geography.

This olive-shaped Xun, an ancient musical instrument, dates back more than seven-thousand years and is the oldest exhibit on display. This pottery jar, unearthed in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, has still maintained its original pattern and color, despite being buried underground for five-thousand years.


On display are a trio of mummies, including a male, a female, and a baby mummy. The oldest one dates back three-thousand -eight-hundred years.
One of the most recent excavations in central China's Henan province has turned up a bronze jar and cup. Experts believe that the exhibits could help archaeologists better understand the Shang and Zhou Dynasty some four-thousand years ago.

Despite their varied background, a considerable number of exhibits trace their origin to the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, where the Xiaohe Burial Ground has stunned the world with over thirty mummies excavated successively since 2004. On display are a trio of mummies, including a male, a female, and a baby mummy. The oldest one dates back three-thousand -eight-hundred years.

Wang Wuyu said, "The customs and folklore in Xinjiang are very different from the people in the Central Plains. This mummy wears flax while people in inner provinces wear silk. The local dry and scorching weather also help to protect the relics from losing their color or decaying. While the frequent exchange along the Silk Road also brought a flurry of trades including goods and religion."

Each exhibit preserves a bygone and distant era with every decorative detail, and provides a unique link in the long chain of Chinese history.

Exploration of Ancient Mystery runs at the Capital Museum from Tuesday to November 30th.

Source: CCTV. com