Archaeologists Uncover 1,700-Year-Old Well in China Revealing Secrets of Three Kingdoms Period

JAKARTA – Archaeologists in China found an ancient well 1,700 years old. This well is thought to be associated with the Three Kingdoms period.

The SCMP page said on Monday (15/4/2024) that the ancient well will reveal certain secrets about life and government during the Three Kingdoms period (220-280 AD). This belief arose from artifacts found in the area of ​​the well, including 10,000 pieces of reeds.

These artifacts found in Hunan province, China, provide a series of images of the bureaucratic reform of Dutou City. During this period, Dutou was known as the center of the Wu period government.

According to a press release from the Institute of Archeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the findings include information on household registration, taxation, agriculture, mining and other economic activities in the city.

Bamboo strips or Jiandu have been known as a primary medium for writing for thousands of years, and their excavations have been an invaluable resource for understanding Chinese history. Archaeologists have found over 300,000 pieces of bamboo so far.

The pieces were found in two wells, one of which was much better preserved than the other. Archaeologists believe that the tablet is from the state of Wu because the time stamp indicates that it is from the “first year of jiahe” or the “fifth year of jiahe”. Jiahe was the name of the reign of Sun Quan (r. 222-229 AD), who declared the formal independence of Wu from the rival state of Wei in 222. Before that, Wu was a vassal state of Wei for two years.

The declaration of independence of the state of Wu from its rival state Wei began the period of the Three Kingdoms, defined by a competition between three states – the other being Shu – for supremacy over all of China.

The period was marked by constant warfare between the three kingdoms, and it only ended when Sima Yan seized control of the state of Wei, established the Jin dynasty, and finally conquered the capital of Wu.