Saving the best for last

The "tomb masters" are believed to have played an important role in guarding the capital and transporting resources to the leading local powers during the late Shang period. All such information led to the conclusion that the Ni clan was made of high-class nobles, appointed by the Shang king, to rule the state of Ni in Jiuwutou. Yet, the excavation of Jiuwutou only started after the site had been robbed many times.

In the second half of 2014, a gang of five "tomb raiders" ransacked an ancient tomb at the site, and each acquired a share of 20 bronze artifacts, while the remaining loot was sold for 4.3 million yuan ($615,800).A second gang was encouraged to try their hand at raiding the site. These two acts of robbery quickly drew the attention of a local major gang, which in May 2015 extended its interest to the Shang tomb cluster at Jiuwutou. The gang used explosives to blast its way into the tombs, and the noise eventually alerted the Wenxi county public security bureau.

After arresting several suspects, local authorities found out about the existence and value of the Jiuwutou tomb cluster. The local public security bureau wasted no time in setting up a round-the-clock protection detail at the site.

In November 2016, local cultural relics and public security departments invited experts to make a preliminary determination of the history of the site. Well-known domestic archaeologists, such as Li Boqian, Liu Xu and Zhu Fenghan, investigated the area and concluded that the tomb cluster might belong to a high-ranking official of the late Shang Dynasty and should be protected and excavated as soon as possible.

"At that time, the site was riddled with holes made by the robbers during their 'exploration' of the tombs," says Duan Linhui, an official of the Wenxi public security bureau, adding that they were so numerous, when those arrested were brought to the scene, even they were unable to identify which holes they had made.