Duke Jing of Qi Tomb Excavated Showing Remains of 600 Sacrificial Horses Neatly Arranged in a Row

The late Duke Jing of Qi reportedly loved horses. When he passed away, hundreds of stallions were sacrificed in his honor.

600 Horses Found in Duke Jing of Qi's Tomb

Duke Jing of Qi's burial in China is very complex. It was discovered in 1964, and when the tomb was excavated, the remains of hundreds of horses arranged neatly in rows were discovered, according to Mysteries Unsolved.

The horses have a separate area in the duke's tomb. About 145 horses were discovered in a pit to the north at a length of 215 meters. Hundreds of others have been discovered to the east and west.

The 600 horses were reportedly sacrificed in his honor. The animals were believed to have been given alcohol until they became unconscious before they were struck on their heads.

According to China Daily, the horses' skulls were broken, suggesting a blunt force was used to knock them down. Per The Vintage News, the horses were carefully arranged in two lines, their skeletons posing like they were ready to rush into war. The outlet noted that aside from Duke Jing's interest in horses, the animal played a significant role in ancient Chinese culture.

Horses are significant for agriculture and the military, as they are the ones that pulled the chariots. Chariots, considered legendary war vehicles, were a major index of a country's power.

The tomb was unearthed between 1976 and 1986 and dug until 2003. The exploration continued in 2019.

More About Duke Jing of Qi

Duke Jing of Qi was born Lü Chujiu with the ancestral name Jiang. He earned the title Duke Jing after his death, according to Mysteries Unsolved. He ruled the State of Qi from 547 to 490 BC.

He was born to a concubine of Duke Ling of Qi and had a half-brother named Duke Zhuang. Their father died in 554 BC, and Duke Zhuang succeeded the power.

Cui Zhu, a powerful minister, supported Duke Zhuang until he discovered that the latter had an affair with his wife. Cui Zhu killed Duke Zhuang, leading Duke Jing to ascend the throne.

Duke Jing married Princess Yan Ji from the State of Yan, and they shared a son - the crown prince of Qi. He has at least five other grown sons, but he picked his youngest son Prince Tu as the new crown prince.

Prince Tu was still a young boy when he became a crown prince, and his mother was of low status. Duke Jing ordered the ministries to support his youngest son and exiled his other children.

When Duke Jing died in 490 BC, Prince Tu succeeded the throne, but several clans staged a coup d'etat bringing back Duke Jing's son Prince Yangsheng to take over the throne. Prince Yangsheng killed Prince Tu and became known as Duke Dao of Qi.

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