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The Battleground Site of Jiangkou in Sichuan Province, China: The Mid-Seventeenth-Century Gold and Silver Objects of Zhang Xianzhong

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Abstract

Jiangkou, China, is the battleground site where, in 1646, Zhang Xianzhong, the peasant uprising leader, fought against Yang Zhan, the general of the Southern Ming government. The fierce and powerful Zhang Xianzhong was defeated in this battle, and his enormous quantities of gold and silver objects sank to the bottom of the Min River. From archaeological excavations conducted from 2016 to 2020, the excavators have confirmed that Zhang Xianzhong's objects are dominated by gold and silver items, ingots, coins, and jewels. The discovery at the battleground of Jiangkou is important because almost all of the remains are firsthand historical materials that are useful in studying the politics, economy, and military affairs of the Ming dynasty during the 17th century.

Resumen

Jiangkou, China, es el campo de batalla donde, en el año 1646, Zhang Xianzhong, el líder del levantamiento campesino, luchó contra Yang Zhan, el general del gobierno Ming del Sur. El feroz y poderoso Zhang Xianzhong fue derrotado en esta batalla, y sus enormes cantidades de objetos de oro y plata se hundieron en el fondo del río Min. A partir de las excavaciones arqueológicas realizadas entre 2016 y 2020, los excavadores han confirmado que entre los objetos de Zhang Xianzhong predominan los artículos de oro y plata, lingotes, monedas y joyas. El descubrimiento en el campo de batalla de Jiangkou es importante porque casi todos los restos son materiales históricos de primera mano que son útiles para estudiar la política, la economía y los asuntos militares de la dinastía Ming durante el siglo XVII.

Résumé

Jiangkou en Chine est le site de la bataille où en 1646, Zhang Xianzhong le chef de l’insurrection paysanne, a combattu Yang Zhan le général du gouvernement Ming de la région sud. Le féroce et puissant Zhang Xianzhong fut vaincu dans cette bataille et ses énormes butins d’objets d’or et d’argent furent engloutis au fond de la rivière Min. Grâce aux fouilles archéologiques conduites entre 2016 et 2020, les archéologues ont confirmé que les objets de Zhang Xianzhong sont essentiellement des articles, lingots, pièces et bijoux d’or et d’argent. La découverte du champ de bataille de Jiangkou est importante car presque la totalité des vestiges sont des matériaux historiques directs qui sont utiles pour l’étude de la politique, de l’économie et des affaires militaires de la dynastie Ming au cours du 17ème siècle.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the editors and all five reviewers for their insightful and constructive comments. This research was funded by the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (Grant No. 2019M653456), the National Social Science Fund of China (Grant No. 15ZDB056), and Sichuan University (GSGJHKC2020004).

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Correspondence to Yuniu Li.

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Liu, Z., Qiu, T., Li, Y. et al. The Battleground Site of Jiangkou in Sichuan Province, China: The Mid-Seventeenth-Century Gold and Silver Objects of Zhang Xianzhong. Hist Arch 57, 389–400 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41636-023-00386-3

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