With the continuous development of modern society, many bizarre events that have occurred in human history have gradually come to light, forcing us to admire the wisdom of the ancients. In the 1990s, an artifact that was very similar to a modern glass was unearthed from a tomb in Hangzhou during the Warring States Period. Is this a coincidence or is there another hidden story?

Crystal cup excavation site

In the 1990s, the area with ancient tomb remains was once a brick factory. When workers were digging out bricks and mud for burning paper bricks, they discovered a small hole. They felt that the hole was a bit unusual, so they immediately reported it to the relevant departments. After hearing the news, the relevant departments sent experts to conduct rescue excavations. After a period of hard work by the experts, they found that the ancient tomb had not been attacked by tomb robbers and was still preserved. intact.

For the purpose of cultural relic protection and archaeological investigation, experts continue to study this ancient tomb. During the research process, experts made a comprehensive identification based on the shape and layout of the ancient tomb and the cultural relics found in it, and determined that this ancient tomb is likely to be an ancient tomb from the Warring States period. Ancient tombs during the Warring States Period were often built in groups, so experts expanded the scope of their excavations and indeed discovered a larger ancient tomb nearby.

While cleaning this larger ancient tomb, experts discovered a shiny and strange instrument. After clearing away the mud and topsoil, the transparent material was revealed. This utensil looks like a common glass in modern life, and its shape is also very similar to today's glasses. Why does this glass, which is so inconspicuous in daily life that no one might pick it up even if it is thrown on the ground, appear in the ancient tombs of the Warring States Period?

Many people speculate that this glass may have been accidentally dropped in the ancient tomb by a tomb robber while guarding the tomb in the dark, and now it has been discovered by us. However, this speculation goes against what experts previously determined as "the ancient tomb is well preserved and has no traces of being stolen." So what is the truth? Is it a momentary mistake of the experts or is the glass traveling across thousands of years to the Warring States Period?

Experts were unable to draw conclusions based on speculation, so they sent the "glass" to the laboratory for further research. Through further observation in the laboratory, experts discovered that this was not an ordinary glass, but a water cup made of pure crystal. It had gone through thousands of years of wind and frost and was a real thousand-year treasure.

Warring States Crystal Cup Craftsmanship

This crystal cup is cut and polished from a single piece of pure crystal. Experts determined that no second crystal with such a high purity could be found in China, so where did this crystal come from? Due to the lack of information at that time, it is difficult to trace the source of the raw crystal stone. We can only explore its uses.

Natural crystal is an extremely rare non-renewable resource. You must know that even in modern times, a whole piece of crystal is an extremely precious material, and few people are willing to directly polish it into a cup. Under the conditions at that time, only extremely noble people could own such a gem. It was even more difficult to polish it into such a beautiful crystal cup. This also shows the preciousness of this crystal cup.

So how did the ancients polish the crystal cups? This crystal cup is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom. The wall of the cup is extremely thin and the whole is very translucent. The inner diameter is also very narrow, making it impossible to put your hand in. So how exactly is this crystal cup made? We all know that crystal is an extremely hard material that cannot be carved with a knife. However, high hardness does not mean that it is not fragile, and crystal is also extremely brittle. Therefore, extreme care is required during the production process.

You must know that the polishing technology in ancient times was far inferior to modern times. During the Warring States Period, the production process of this crystal cup was even more difficult. Experts judged that this Warring States crystal cup was made using curved polishing technology. During the Warring States Period, when handmade jade polishing gradually matured, it was not impossible to polish crystal ore. It was also feasible if higher-hardness emery and other items were used as the medium.

But these are just speculations by experts and there is no actual evidence to confirm them. No one knows exactly how the craftsmen polished it during the Warring States Period. We only know that this crystal cup is extremely precious. The discovery of this crystal cup makes us even more impressed by the craftsmanship of ancient craftsmen.

Although many crystal products have been unearthed at home and abroad, such as crystal cups unearthed in Afghanistan.

Compared with Warring States crystal cups, their height is not as good as Warring States crystal cups, and their polishing technology is not as good as Warring States crystal cups. Among the many crystal products unearthed, no crystal product has a higher purity than it. Therefore, the Warring States Crystal Cup has deservedly become a national treasure of our country, and was included in the first list of treasures prohibited from overseas exhibition. It is still collected in the Zhejiang Museum.

The purpose of the crystal cup

Many people will be curious, is this priceless crystal cup really used for drinking water? The value of this crystal cup is immeasurable to modern people. First of all, with the continuous mining of modern ores, natural crystals are becoming more and more rare, and it is rare to find such a complete crystal rough stone; secondly, even if they have such a precious rough stone, few people are willing to polish it into daily drinking water. The crystal cup is so fragile that if it is accidentally broken, it cannot be restored. Would the ancients really be willing to use it to drink water?

By constantly consulting ancient and modern books and materials, experts have found some basis for the purpose of this crystal cup. Experts found such a record in "Hangzhou Ancient Jade" edited by Li Hai. In ancient times, there were no machines for making ice, and ice cubes cut from cold areas could only be transported manually to the homes of dignitaries. Therefore, ice cubes were very precious in ancient times. The ancients believed that the crystal itself had a certain cooling effect. In addition, its shape is extremely exquisite and translucent, just like ice cubes. Holding such crystals can quench thirst.

Now it seems that the ancients made such an exquisite crystal cup not for drinking water, but to carry a heat-relieving effect. Furthermore, the ancients may have made crystal cups not only for practicality and cooling, but also to convey a beautiful meaning. In addition to wealth and possessiveness, making crystal cups also brings spiritual sustenance. The original use of crystal cups was most likely for sacrifices or other very important occasions.

Since ancient times, crystals have been a favorite item. People's pursuit of crystal has not faded over time, but they have become more and more fond of it. Nowadays, many girls are accustomed to carrying a string of crystals on their hands. Crystals are not only beautiful and transparent in appearance, but also a symbol of status and value. They often also contain many blessings, such as attracting love and wealth, etc. Although we are currently unable to determine the specific use of the Warring States Crystal Cup, we cannot deny the rationality of its existence.