The "Archaeological Achievements of the Yaoheyuan Site" exhibition at the Pengyang Museum in Guyuan, Ningxia, has drawn significant attention. Since its opening before the Chinese New Year, it has attracted over 6,000 visitors.
The exhibition features more than 300 artifacts, including ivory combs, horse skulls, bronze axle ornaments, and pottery molds, offering a glimpse into the 3,000-year-old Huoguo state.
Discovered in 2017, the Yaoheyuan site was identified as the capital of the Huoguo state, a vassal state established during the early Western Zhou Dynasty (c. 11th century-771 BC). It was also recognized as the northwesternmost military outpost of the Zhou people discovered to date.
Among the most captivating exhibits are three large, well-preserved horse skulls. Archaeologists have unearthed the remains of over 100 young and middle-aged horses, shedding light on the Western Zhou's chariot burial practices.
In ancient times, nobles were often buried with chariots and horses, with the number of such burials reflecting the deceased's status. The Yaoheyuan site has revealed four chariot pits.
A significant discovery at the Yaoheyuan site is the bronze casting workshop, located just south of the high-status burial area. The workshop, which spans approximately 6,000 square meters, includes water channels, pools, clay pits, storage pits, and kilns.
The over 3,000 pottery molds unearthed indicate that the Huoguo state had a complete bronze casting industry capable of producing bronze ritual vessels, weapons, chariot fittings, and tools. According to Yang Ningguo, a research curator at the museum, this site represents the westernmost known bronze casting workshop of the Western Zhou Dynasty.
"Fewer than 10 Western Zhou bronze casting workshops have been discovered in China, and the Yaoheyuan workshop is one of them," said Yang, "The excavation of this workshop provides invaluable insights into the Western Zhou's bronze casting technology and industry, making it an essential resource for comparative studies of the core and peripheral regions of Western Zhou bronze production."