Water-soaked wood is also called "black wood" and "black wood sand" In Cihai 1979, dark wood is identified as "wood buried in soil for a long time due to stratum change, which is called" dark wood "and" dark wood sand ". Generally speaking, it is mostly Chinese fir, which is hard and durable. In the past, it was considered as a precious wood for making coffins. " It's cloudy in the north of the mountain and the south of the water. Generally, people born in Shanbei or autumn and winter are called shady trees. Shaded wood is obviously different from dark wood. Yin wood is born on the ground, and dark wood is buried underground. Ancient Sink Wood (Sink Wood) Ancient Sink Wood (Sink Wood) [1], also known as Oolong Wood, Ebony Wood, Sink Wood, Carbonized Wood, Oriental Shenmu, etc. , is a kind of wood that sank in water and soil in ancient times. In ancient times, a large area of precious wood in virgin forests was attacked by major natural disasters such as earthquakes, flash floods and mudslides, and became dead wood residues buried deep in rivers, lakes and the seabed. With the passage of time, these dead wood roots were soaked and ground in the sediment at the bottom of the water, which changed the original physical properties: the inherent fat and sugar of wood were completely dissolved in water, eliminating the living space of moths and bacteria. Some are corroded by sediment at the bottom of the water, which strengthens the texture beauty of the material; Others become strong and upright, showing a dignified posture, forming a simple and dignified effect. Its colors are also very different, including brown, gray, purple and black, as well as red outside and black inside or black yellow heart. The ancient sunken wood is obviously "carbonized", showing the black color of coal sample, which is strange and wonderful. According to the detection of scientific research institutions, ancient sunken trees were buried deep underground for 3000 to 12000, and some even reached tens of thousands of years; What's more commendable is that it is not deformed, heavy and dense, and will not be eaten by insects. Some ancient sunken trees can be compared with rosewood, which can be called the essence of trees and the soul of trees. Therefore, the world regards ancient sinking wood as a treasure to ward off evil spirits, accept blessings and accept houses, and there is a saying that "although there is a box full of gold, it is not as good as ebony". Ancient sunken wood is a treasure left by nature to human beings and a non-renewable scarce resource. It is difficult to find ancient sunken wood with good material.

On the morning of June 20 18, nearly 50 dark trees were salvaged from Ximen Desert Island Wharf in Anqing, Anhui Province, and one of them, "Tree King", weighed 2 1 ton. A large number of dark trees have been continuously salvaged in Anqing section of the Yangtze River, which has attracted the attention of relevant experts.

Characteristics of tree species Dark wood is not only a kind of Chinese fir, but also a general term for many kinds of wood that have been buried underground for a long time and can be used as utensils. These Woods are characterized by moisture-proof, insect-proof, anti-corrosion, fragrance and heavy oil. There are many kinds, mainly cypress, Chinese fir, nanmu, Fraxinus mandshurica, wild litchi, bitter catalpa, runnan, iron pear and so on. Dark wood has different names in all parts of the country. It is called "Langmu" and "Shuijiangmu" in the Songhua River Basin in Northeast China, and "Ebony" in Sichuan (the main hidden wood is generally dark in color). There is also an ebony art museum in Chengdu, Sichuan. But in fact, Sichuan does not produce ebony, which is produced in Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia. The so-called "ebony" in Sichuan is actually a kind of gloomy wood, which is very different in concept and essence and cannot be confused. The reasons for the formation of blackwood are classified according to tree species. The reasons for the formation of blackwood are as follows:

Shadow wood (Figure 2) 1. Submerged in river sediment, trees are generally washed into the river by geological disasters such as mudslides and soil erosion in the upper reaches and buried in the river bed;

2. Burying of trees caused by earthquake;

3. Coffins buried underground for several years. Due to the above reasons, the color of dark wood is generally dark and the color difference is obvious. Due to long-term deep burial and rich water content, wood is easy to crack, deform and warp during processing, but after drying, the processed surface is very moist and bright, with excellent hand feeling. Historically, dark wood was generally used to make coffins or small utensils. Officials, dignitaries and literati all regard gloomy wooden furniture and gloomy works of art carved from ancient wood as family heirlooms, treasures of town houses and things to ward off evil spirits. Throughout the ages, especially in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, black wood became the first choice for emperors to build palaces and make coffins. In the Qing dynasty, the emperors even listed it as a special material for the royal family, and the people could not use it privately.

4. At present, a rare ancient wood-black wood is found in many places in Guangxi, lying on the homestead of Luo Moujia, a resident of Anyang Town, Du 'an Yao Autonomous County, Guangxi, which attracts the surrounding residents to watch. This section of ancient wood is 10 m long, about 1 m in diameter and 4 tons in net weight. Its appearance is dark gray, its roots and epidermis are black, and there are different degrees of carbonization. The cracks in the tree body are staggered, the roots are "chicken feet" and the core is hollow.

According to Luo, two years ago, he dug up ancient wood about 3 meters below the bank of the Nongchi River in Gaoling Town of the county. Appraised by local forestry experts, the wood is dark, and the specific age of the tree has not yet been determined, which is estimated to be more than 1000 years old.

Blackwood is an ancient tree thousands or even tens of thousands of years ago. Due to natural reasons such as landslides, it sank into the river, was soaked by the river, and was crushed by sand, and the wooden structure changed. It is called fossil wood, also called ebony. Luo said that at present, he doesn't want to carve the black wood, but just wants to preserve it well for further study. Folk spread Oriental Shenmu in China folk, dark wood is carbonized wood, Shu people call it ebony, and westerners call it "Oriental Shenmu". Blackwood has a long history. According to the available data, in ancient times, rare ancient trees in virgin forests suffered sudden and significant geographical and meteorological changes (such as earthquakes, flash floods, lightning strikes, typhoons, etc.). ), some are buried under the mud and sand of ancient river beds and rivers and lakes, and some are buried in the dark strata that have been deprived of oxygen for thousands or even thousands of years and washed by rapids. After thousands of years of natural abrasion, this dark wood has both the elegance of wood and the charm of stone. Its texture is solid and heavy, its color is black and luxurious, its cut surface is smooth and delicate, and its wood is oily, moisture-proof and fragrant, which will not rot for thousands of years and is not afraid of insects. Individual tree species recorded in ancient books also have medicinal value. It combines the characteristics of "thinness, permeability, leakage and wrinkle" and is worthy of the reputation of "Oriental Shenmu" and "plant mummy". The symbol of noble status of the dark wood (Figure 3) The dark wood has been regarded as a precious wood and a rare thing since ancient times, and it is a symbol of dignity and status. There is a folk saying in our country that "a box of jewelry is not as good as ebony" and "20 thousand gold is sent to the underworld for ebony to worship the spirit of heaven" In ancient times, dignitaries and literati regarded furniture made of black wood and works of art carved from black wood as family heirlooms, treasures of towns and houses and things to ward off evil spirits. Throughout the ages, especially in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, black wood became the first choice for emperors to build palaces and make coffins. In the Qing Dynasty, the emperors even listed it as a special material for the royal family, and the people could not use it privately, which made this kind of black wood even rarer. Yuan Shikai, a traitor in the Republic of China, went against the historical trend, and the "emperor dream" soon died. However, in order to show that he was an emperor, his family tried their best to find a gloomy wood and put together a coffin for him. Although this is a historical joke, it also shows that the preciousness of heavy wood is hard to find. Treasure Strictly speaking, dark wood has gone beyond the category of wood, but it should be classified as "treasure". This is because in the "Treasure Garden" of the Palace Museum, there are exquisite works of art carved from gloomy wood, which shows that its preciousness is far beyond the reach of ordinary wood. Dark wood furniture and works of art can be said to be unparalleled in terms of texture, cultural value and appreciation prospect, even surpassing precious rosewood.

Dark wood is rare in the world, and both capital and capital can fight against Zhuyu. "The mire does not hurt the muscles and bones. When you enter Huatang, you will be lightly clothed." Because of its rare quantity, low output, non-renewable and high ornamental value, it has high scientific research value, cultural value and economic added value. Furniture and works of art made of the unique material of dark wood, the charm of ancient Austria and various artistic shapes are works of art with a high degree of integration of nature and humanity, which are of great ornamental and collection value. Also known as ebony, Sichuan people call it ebony. That was from 2000 to 10000 years ago, the celestial bodies in ancient Sichuan changed naturally, and all plants and creatures on the ground were buried in low-lying places such as ancient river beds by earthquakes, floods and mudslides. Some trees buried in the soil are formed by carbonization for thousands or even tens of thousands of years under the conditions of hypoxia and high pressure and under the action of microorganisms such as bacteria, so they are also called "carbonized wood".

The magical Sanxingdui ebony, like the world-famous Sanxingdui cultural relics, is a precious heritage of Sichuan people, an important part of ancient Shu civilization, and has the reputation of living fossil.

Ebony is mainly distributed in four major rivers and their tributaries in Sichuan. Many ebony lovers have taken samples for carbon 14 isotope determination, and most ebony dates from more than 2,000 years ago to 40,000 years ago.

It can be seen that ebony has experienced vicissitudes and suffered from various natural external and internal forces, making its natural form weird, simple, elegant and graceful. It is no wonder that foreigners are amazed as "Oriental Shenmu" after visiting.

The ancient riverbed near Sanxingdui is one of the most concentrated producing areas of ebony. According to charcoal 14 of the inspection center of China Geo University, ebony is 3,200 years old. My ebony collection is only 10 km away from Sanxingdui. Ebony characteristics There are many kinds of ebony, including: willow, green bar tree, camphor, Phoebe bournie, Toona sinensis, Taxus chinensis, Coriaria sinica, willow, phellodendron amurense, Sophora japonica and sandalwood. Generally, ebony can be formed by tree species with fragrance and bactericidal properties. A big ebony tree with a diameter of 3 meters was also found in Mianyuanhe area of Deyang City, which shows how beautiful and spectacular the ancient ecological environment is.

Ebony is hard, mostly brown-black, black-red, gold and yellow-brown. Its section is smooth and the wood grain is fine, which can be polished to mirror brightness. Some ebony trees are similar in nature to rosewood. It never fades, does not rot, does not produce insects, and is an ideal material for making works of art and antique furniture. Ebony Archaeological Demonstration Archaeologists deciphered the mystery of a large number of ivory unearthed in Sanxingdui by restoring the living environment at that time with Samsung ebony. It is the spirituality of ebony that the teachers in the Palace Museum decided that ebony has a remarkable function of promoting blood circulation and prolonging life. Shu people regard it as a treasure to ward off evil spirits and receive happiness.

Because ebony is a non-renewable resource, the development amount is less and less, and some natural ebony artworks are of great collection value. Blackwood is an ancient tree that sank into the river thousands or even tens of thousands of years ago due to natural reasons such as landslides. After years of soaking and polishing in river water and sand, the wood structure has changed and is in the stage of transforming into fossils. Therefore, the scientific name of dark wood is also called "fossil wood". Every flood season, under the impact of the flood, a small amount of dark wood will emerge from the bottom of the river and be washed to the shore to "see the light of day again".

Blackwood is strange. Generally, wood is burnt with white ash, while dark wood is burnt with yellow ash. Dark wood is very hard, and sparks can often be seen when cutting with a chainsaw, which is difficult to polish. Furniture made of dark wood is black and shiny after being coated with vegetable oil, and there is no need to paint it at all, and the older the dark wood, the darker the color. People found that soaking small pieces of black wood in wine or burning into ashes and then soaking in water can cure colds, so black wood was collected by local farmers for medicine. Dark wood is also a good carving material. At the same time, because the dark wood is between wood and stone, it feels good to carve, and the works carved with it are bright in black or red in yellow, which has a very strong texture and is very suitable for delicate and vivid works. Experts said that in China, only the Longyangxia of the Yellow River and the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River have recorded the discovery of dark wood. According to the analysis, in addition to the river conditions with large flow and high water pressure, there are also geological changes such as steep peaks and landslides on both sides of the river. The Three Gorges area of the Yangtze River and Longyangxia area of the Yellow River have these conditions at the same time. However, after the completion of Longyangxia Reservoir, there was no record of any dark wood found in Longyangxia, making the Three Gorges area of the Yangtze River the only place where dark wood was found in China. The Three Gorges area is only found in fengjie county, Yunyang and Wushan counties, with a length of about 200 kilometers, especially in fengjie county. It is estimated that after the completion of the Three Gorges Reservoir, there will be no more black wood here, and the black wood preserved by people will also become "out of print".

10 year 10 On October 24th, a huge dark forest gradually revealed its true colors in Zhenjiang, Yu Zui, Jiangbei District. According to experts' research, it should be a willow tree, estimated to be 13 meters long, but only half of it has been excavated so far. Judging from the clay covered on the trunk, it has formed a history of thousands of years. This kind of dark wood may have been buried underground for more than 2000 years, which has high archaeological and cultural relics collection value. According to local residents, after the news of the discovery of black wood came out, mysterious people came here to inquire from time to time in high-end cars. In the wood with depressed value, it often emits a strange fragrance after night, especially in the finished product exhibition hall. The faint fragrance lingers for a long time after entering the room and is secreted into the heart and spleen. Because ebony is a mysterious and precious "treasure" and "artifact", there is a folk saying that "even a box of jewelry is not as good as ebony".

Yuan Mei, a great scholar in Qing Dynasty, explained the gloomy wood in Wuziyu as follows: According to legend, gloomy wood is a tree that started the world. When it sinks into the sand waves, it subverts the fate of the world, reappears the world, and makes it buried again, which will not be bad for ten thousand years. Its color is dark green, and its pattern is like brocade. Put a piece on the ground, and a hundred paces away, flies can't fly.

At the beginning of last century, western missionaries came to China and saw this kind of wood in some remote mountainous areas, which was called "Oriental Shenmu". According to the analysis of existing data, in ancient times, the precious ancient trees in a large area of virgin forests have grown for more than a hundred years or even thousands of years, and they are towering. However, due to sudden major geographical and meteorological changes (such as earthquakes, flash floods, lightning strikes, typhoons, etc. ), they are buried deep under the mud and sand of ancient river beds and rivers and lakes, and buried underground for thousands or even tens of thousands of years without oxygen. After years of vicissitudes, it was eroded by wind and rain and washed by rapids. The collective name of precious wood is a kind of precious wood. Judging from the texture of dark wood, there are many kinds of ancient native wood, such as nanmu, amethyst, grape, slope base, green bar, Liu Ma, coriaria and so on. , especially some ancient precious redwoods, such as ancient golden nanmu, rosewood, rosewood and so on. Because it has been buried underground for thousands of years, it has different colors when unearthed, some are black as a whole, some are gray and brown like clouds, some are red as granite, some are golden, the outer black and inner yellow are golden nanmu, the outer black and inner red are slopes, and the outer black and inner green are Zhennan and so on. Because it is buried for a long time, it has a high density and is hard and heavy, but it is heavy when it is put in water.

In ancient times, due to crustal movement or natural factors such as * * * *, floods and mudslides, trees were instantly buried deep in the river bed of mountain streams and sealed by oxygen below the water level. It takes more than 3800 to 8000 years to form a gloomy tree. Moreover, not all trees can evolve into black wood. So far, only five kinds of dark wood have been found: green bar, willow, camphor tree, Chinese toon and nanmu. According to the isotopic determination of C 14, Phoebe bournei was formed for the longest time, more than 8,000 years, and the others were about 3,800 to 6,000 years. In recent years, due to the country's accelerated development of the western region, only a small amount of black wood can be seen again from roads and bridges, battlefields or power plant sites. Chinese fir (the buried wood of Chinese fir) is a kind of Chinese fir buried by earthquakes and landslides in history. Because it has been underground for many years, the density of wood after excavation is high, so it is named Shui Mu. fir wood

Dark wood is brownish yellow in color, solid in material, dense in texture and fragrant, which is stronger than that of fresh Chinese fir. Usually, the number of dark wood unearthed is small, which is corrosion-resistant and ant-proof, and is deeply loved by people. The essential oil was extracted from sapwood samples at the base of Chinese fir by steam distillation, and the content of essential oil was 3.58%. The volatile oil was identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and 42 compounds were detected, most of which were terpenoids. 24 compounds were identified by gas red analyzer.