As we all know, the Qin Dynasty was the first feudal dynasty in the history of our country, and what the world knows is the prosperous time of the Qin Dynasty. However, the origin, early life and the history of the Qin people have always been a historical mystery in academic circles. According to legend, Qin people are a branch of Chinese people who moved westward. Their early ancestors were Yi family, a noble family in Shang Dynasty, which was highly valued by Shang Dynasty. Later, they were punished by Zhou Gongdan, because some Yi people took part in the Three Prison Rebellion, forcing the Yi people living in the east to move westward and become civilians. According to historical records, during the Zhou Dynasty, Zhao Ji's nephew and concubine were made princes by the King of Zhou. Since then, Qin people have been raising horses for the king of Zhou for generations and fighting Xirong in the frontier. In 82 1 year BC, Qin Zhuanggong defeated Xirong and was named Doctor Wei. In 770 BC, Qin Xianggong sent troops to escort his drought-striken fields eastward and was made a vassal. From then on, Qin officially became a vassal state of the Zhou Dynasty.

In the 1990s, farmers near Dabaozi Mountain in Yongxing Township, east of Lixian County, Gansu Province dug up paleontological fossils, which were called "keel". Therefore, in order to dig the "keel" and sell money, the local villagers went to the Dabaozi Mountain to steal, so that grave robbers found the ancient tomb in Dabaozi Mountain, which is the Qin cemetery. The thief only took valuable gold, silver, jade and so on, but ignored the pottery and other cultural relics. It is said that thieves were very rampant at that time, and even opened a small shop on Dabaozi Mountain to do business. Thieves often fought for territory. Later, under the protection of the local public security and cultural relics departments, the theft was curbed. Because two tombs were almost stolen, the owner of the tomb became a historical mystery.

During the period of 1994, Gansu Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology conducted a rescue excavation of Dabaozishan Cemetery. The two tombs are Han-shaped, and they are buried with chariots and horses. It has been confirmed that the cemetery belongs to Xi Huang, Qin Gong. In order to further explore the face of early Qin culture, with the approval of National Cultural Heritage Administration, Gansu Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Peking University Institute of Archaeology, National Museum and Shaanxi Institute of Archaeology set up an archaeological team to start archaeological exploration and excavation in Dabaozishan area. According to experts, nearly 700 relics have been found in the survey drilling area of 6.5438+0.3 million square meters, including rammed earth walls, building foundations, tombs, chariots and horses pits, ash pits and so on. Nearly 700 relics were found, including rammed earth walls, building foundations, tombs, chariots and horses pits and ash pits. The excavation area is more than 3,000 square meters, and large-scale building base 1 seat, 9 small and medium-sized tombs, musical instrument pit 1 seat and 4 human sacrifice pits have been found.

Experts found three tombs in Dabaozishan site, among which nine bronzes (including three ding, 1 pan, 1 sword, 1 piece), more than 30 stone guises and six pottery wares were unearthed in the largest tomb. It was in the middle of the Spring and Autumn Period. A large musical instrument pit, 8.8m long, 2. 1 m wide and1.6m deep, was also found at the scene. Among them, the largest bronze shovel is ornate in shape, with more than 20 characters in the drum, which is similar to the Qin Wugong shovel found in the past, dating back to the early Spring and Autumn Period. The discovery of the large musical instrument pit in Dabaozishan site provides extremely valuable information for determining the owner of the stolen Qin cemetery and studying the ritual and music system, sacrifice system and bronze casting technology of the early Qin people.

The appearance of a large number of martyrs and bronze ritual vessels in the ruins and tombs of Dabaozishan shows that the specifications of the cemetery are quite high. According to historical records, the Xishan Mausoleum, which was buried with Wen Gong, is the Dabaozi Mountain in Lixian County, Gansu Province, and the first monarch mausoleum after the founding of the State of Qin. According to textual research, there are four cemeteries in the State of Qin, and the locations of the last three cemeteries have been determined successively, namely Yongcheng Mausoleum (Xiling), Zhiyangling Mausoleum (Dongling) and the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor in Shaanxi. However, the only place where the first cemetery is located has always been an eternal mystery that puzzles historians and archaeologists. It was not until the discovery of the Dabaozishan site that it was confirmed by archaeologists as the largest cemetery in Qin State, that is, the Western Qin Huang Cemetery.

According to Records of the Historian Qin Benji, Qin's ancestors originally lived in "Xigou Mountain", and later they were made princes of the Western Zhou Dynasty because of their meritorious service in herding horses, and the State of Qin was established. Therefore, "Xigou Mountain" is actually the birthplace and foundation of Qin State and Qin culture, and there are various indications that Lixian area is the location of Qin "Xigou Mountain". After analysis and textual research, many archaeologists have come to the conclusion that the ancient tomb of Dabaozishan is the Qin cemetery. Experts said that the solution of the two eternal mysteries of the First Cemetery of Qin Dynasty and the "West Dog Mountain" filled the gap in the study of pre-Qin culture.