Wang Ke and Ye Xianxian walked in with the last plate of "roast pork with dried beans" and saw Professor Wen's serious face.
"Comrade Xiao Wang."
"arrive!"
"I thought of a question." Professor Wen said.
Everyone, including Professor Ye, saw Professor Wen's expression and felt that he had made another important discovery.
"What's the problem?" Professor Ye couldn't hold it in any longer and put down his chopsticks.
"Have you noticed? Why is there such a shortage of water in the western mountainous area? Even the wells in Tunliu Village need to be drilled more than 100 meters high." Professor Wen suddenly said.
"Didn't Comrade Xiao Wang say that there is an underground river under the ancient well?" Professor Ye said disdainfully.
"That's not right. Did all the surface water leak into the underground river? Where does the water in the underground river go in the end?"
Professor Wen's words reminded Wang Ke of the time during wilderness survival training. Indeed, the deepest river water on the ground was no more than knee-deep.
Many rivers in the western mountainous areas are seasonal rivers, and water shortages are serious.
"Let me tell you a story." Professor Wen put down his chopsticks and said to everyone. Wang Ke and Ye Xian quickly found a place to sit down.
"Historical records show that from more than 1,700 BC to 296 BC during the Warring States Period, the Yi family, Bai Di, Xianyu and Zhongshan kingdoms had always lived in this Xishan Mountain. The Yishui River was drawn from this Yi family. The same lineage."
"Is Zhongshan State the later Yan State?" Ye Qianpian asked.
"Zhongshan State was a small ancient country in the Spring and Autumn Period. Before the Yan State, water was an important condition for survival. Wherever there was water, there were some small countries. For example, the Zhongshan State, and the Zhongli State in the Huaihe River Basin. These last small countries They all perished one after another and became the chronological history of the ancient Spring and Autumn Kingdom. By the way, have you heard this story? It is said that Zhao Jianzi, a doctor of the Jin Dynasty, was hunting in Zhongshan. A wolf escaped with an arrow and Zhao Jianzi chased after it. It happened to meet a gentleman named Dong Guo. Passing there, the wolf asked him for help. Mr. Dong Guo felt pity and hid the wolf in his book bag, deceiving Zhao Jianzi. After the wolf survived, it wanted to eat its lifesaver, Mr. Dong Guo. Have you heard this story? "
"I've heard of it," Ye said.
"Little girl, don't interrupt, listen to Professor Wen." Professor Ye Rongguang interrupted.
"It is said that at that time, the water came from the west, all the way south, and was divided into three rivers, namely today's Laishui, Xushui, and Yishui. The largest river, Yishui, passed through the current Angezhuang to the east, and then passed through Yanxia The capital of Wuyang City, from what is now Beihedian in An County, enters the Juma River, stretches for hundreds of kilometers, and finally flows into the Yellow River."
"Where is Wuyang City, the capital of Yanxia?" Ye Pianqian couldn't help but ask.
Professor Wen glanced at her and continued: "King Zhao of Yan moved his capital to the banks of the Yishui River and built the capital of Yanxia. It is not far from our Tunliu Village and should be a few dozen kilometers south of due east of us. He is in Yanxia The city of Wuyang in the capital built a high golden platform and recruited talented people. Among them was Le Yi, who later destroyed more than 70 cities in Qi State, making Yan State strong and prosperous for a time."
"Professor Wen, please tell me the key points." Although the story was pleasant, Ye Qianqian was still a little anxious. She really wanted to know why the Western Mountains were short of water.
"Don't worry, don't worry. Everyone has heard of the idiom that when snipes and clams fight, the fisherman will benefit. This idiom does not refer to the water town in the south of the Yangtze River, but to the banks of the Yishui River." Professor Wen's explanation of this idiom still surprised Wang Ke No small thing, he never expected that the origin of this idiom was actually around him.
Professor Wen continued: "It can be seen that the Yishui River had abundant water system and fertile water and grass. It was once a land of plenty. Also, at that time, Prince Dan of the Yan Kingdom sent Jing Ke and his thirteen-year-old assistant Qin Wuyang to this Yishui River. By the river, it was already late autumn, and Jing Ke and Qin Wuyang sang loudly here: The wind rustled and the water became cold, and the brave men never returned. At that time, these two people were taking a boat to the west to assassinate! "
"Ah, was there such a big water at that time?" Wang Ke couldn't help shouting. It was also the first time that he knew that the river in Xishan could be used for boating, but now this was the largest river he had ever seen in Xishan, and it was not even possible to swim. It’s all very difficult, and there’s no point talking about rowing.
"Yes, my question is where does this water go? What causes the river to dry up and stop flowing? What causes the villagers here to choose where to live and move away from their hometowns one after another, moving east and south?"
Yes, this problem is too serious. If not for hearing this story from Professor Wen, who would have thought that Jing Ke and Qin Wuyang would still go to Qin by boat to assassinate them!
"So, Lao Ye, I'm thinking..."
At this time, Professor Ye Rongguang was also a little anxious. "Old Wen, what are you thinking about? Just tell me."
"I'm thinking that we not only need to conduct a systematic and deep excavation of the ancient well to see how deep it is and which dynasty dug the well? We also need to investigate this underground river to see where it flows. Yes? Maybe we will uncover many mysteries of Yanxiadu and Zhongshan Kingdom."
"That's right!" Ye Rongguang and two other experts praised the case together.
"This may be a bigger project, but with our existing equipment, I'm afraid it's not possible. We also need to mobilize divers, large-scale oxygen equipment, hoisting equipment, and more professional expedition technicians to join our joint investigation and archaeological team. We also need to come up with a more appropriate plan for funding and living security."
"That's right."
No one expected that a small broken pottery shard would lead to so many associations and trigger such a grand archaeological investigation plan.
"Then what do we need to do next?" Professor Ye Rongguang asked.
"I suggest that we jointly inspect the archaeological team and do an analysis on the vessels we have collected from the wells. Then, you and I will come up with a plan and rush back to Jinmen. When Make a report to the relevant departments and strive for their recognition and support.”
"Yes, Lao Wen, take a careful look at the broken copper pot, broken clay pot, and many other things you brought back from my hometown this afternoon." Professor Ye Rongguang suggested.
"Well, these things need to be sorted out. To be honest, Lao Ye, of the two things you just said, I think the broken clay pot is more valuable. I won't go out tomorrow. I want to take a closer look. , maybe there will be more discoveries." Professor Wen's mood is getting better and better. After such an analysis, everyone is more confident. What other secrets does Tunliu Village have, and what biological and archaeological secrets can be discovered?
Unknowingly, several people had been discussing it for more than an hour without eating a bite.
"Come on, come on. The dishes are cold, let's hurry up." Professor Ye Rongguang picked up the chopsticks and said to Professor Wen.
"You guys drink first, Wang Ke, and you come and accompany me to reheat these dishes." Ye Pianzhan picked up the pot of dried beans and roasted pork and said to Wang Ke.
"Yes!" Wang Ke picked up the other two plates of food and hurriedly followed.
Everyone behind him burst into laughter.
When they arrived at the outhouse, Ye Xianqian was blushing. Putting down the food in his hand, he said to Wang Ke: "It's all your fault for making them laugh at us."
At this time, Wang Ke was still immersed in Professor Wen's story. He thought of the fishing river, the bullfrog, the roe deer cave, the well, the hemostatic vine, plantain, and the soap locust. Tree. Now I understand why there are many plants, trees and animals that are only found in the south. Why are they also found in the deep mountains and old forests here? Unexpectedly, Xishan is also a water network area, a land of plenty.
Ye Qianqian saw that Wang Ke was still there, stretched out his hand and patted him gently. "What are you thinking about? Light a fire!"
"Yes! I obey!"
The conversation was a little louder, and the room burst into laughter again.
As if Ye had eaten honey, he hurriedly squatted down and lit the fire again to heat the dishes.
In the firelight, she didn't know whether her face was red from the reflection or from the laughter of the people in the room. Anyway, only she knew.
The next day, Professor Wen and others did not go out. Everyone gathered in Uncle Geng's house to carefully organize and analyze the objects collected in the past few days. Professor Wen, on the other hand, kept holding the broken clay pot and studying it over and over.
"Hey, Lao Ye, come here and take a look, what's going on with this cyan color?"
Although he is a biologist, Professor Ye Rongguang is self-taught and has some experience in identifying antiques. He came over and looked at it carefully.
"Well, this cyan color seems to be a kind of glaze." He said.
"No, where does the glaze come from on the pottery pots?" Professor Wen questioned: "Only porcelain can have glaze on it."
He continued: "Ceramics, ceramics, first there is pottery and then there is porcelain. And firing porcelain is different from firing pottery. It must have three conditions: kaolin, high-temperature firing of 1200 to 1400 degrees, and high temperature. glaze."
"Old Wen, are you sure the clay pot you have is from the Spring and Autumn Period?"
"There is no problem with this. The question is, is this broken pottery pottery or porcelain?"
"Old Wen, why do you ask that?" Professor Ye Rongguang stood up immediately, and he couldn't figure it out.
The conversation between the two attracted everyone, including Ye Xianqian and Wang Ke, and everyone gathered around the two.
Professor Wen continued: "The history of our porcelain began in the Tang Dynasty and flourished in the Song Dynasty. Do you know about Tang Sancai? That's because the glaze is consistent with kaolin and high-temperature firing, so we call it porcelain. Of course, Tang Sancai is strictly speaking It still belongs to pottery making technology. Do you understand my doubts now?"
Everyone shook their heads together, becoming more and more confused as they listened.
Professor Wen took a look and realized that he still didn't express himself clearly. He was also a little anxious and said: "Even Tang Sancai belongs to the pottery making technology, but now this broken pottery pot in my hand, how come there is glaze on it? And there are black marks in the middle of this broken facade. It is obviously after high temperature It's fired, and it's kaolin. What does this mean? Is it also the most primitive and simplest porcelain-making technology?"
Now everyone understood. Professor Ye Rongguang said: "Old Wen, if your discovery is true, wouldn't it mean that our ancestors' porcelain-making technology has been improved by more than a thousand years?"
"The meaning is not just here." Professor Wen said, he seemed a little excited. He stood up, walked to the door and looked at the sun for a while, turned around, and said to Professor Ye Rongguang incoherently: " Lao Ye, you are right, this broken pottery pot is covered with a layer of green glaze. If it can be regarded as porcelain, it will not only rewrite the history of porcelain making of our nation and our ancestors, but it is also very likely that the coexistence of porcelain and porcelain will completely break the The conclusion that there was pottery first and then porcelain is an epoch-making discovery in archeology and the history of ceramic firing."
"Then can we determine it through the carbon-14 dating method?"
"Well, we should carefully identify this broken pottery pot. Is it from the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period? What kind of blue is the glaze on the surface, and what raw material is used to dye it blue?"
Today’s discovery is so interesting. I didn’t expect that the investigation and archeology of Yan culture would actually involve ceramic firing.
Wang Ke thought of the book that Uncle Geng gave him. No, this book cannot be older. Yan State used bamboo slips at that time, so this book is considered good if it is hundreds of years old.
