Chapter 252 Another one was made.

Why are the kiln sites for egg white jade so difficult to find?

Because of the great antiquity of the time, surface markers such as kilns, clay pits, and mud-refining pools have long since disappeared, leaving no trace.

If we absolutely must search, there are only two methods: First, cast a wide net and search extensively. Conduct a full-scale search within a limited area. To put it bluntly, search inch by inch. It might take one or two years, or even three to five years, but we will eventually find it.

The second method is to follow the clues and trace the clues: all porcelain firing requires two things, clay and water. First, find the nearby clay deposits, and then find the nearest ancient riverbed. By combining the two, you can pinpoint the approximate location of the ancient porcelain kiln.

This method is definitely much faster, but it is much, much more difficult than the previous one. Just to give you an example: due to various reasons, rivers sometimes change course, and because of reclamation, dike construction, damming, etc., very few traces are left behind.

Finding ancient riverbeds requires an extremely strong knowledge base, extensive experience in exploration and archaeology, and, most importantly, a great deal of luck.

Lin Sicheng felt that he wasn't the best, but he had to be good at everything. Besides, he didn't have the time and energy to waste two or three years, so he chose the second option.

Whether it works or not, you'll know once you try it.

For the first time, based on the flow direction of Zhema Valley and the place name Laoyaotou, Lin Sicheng found the largest and most complete porcelain firing site to date in Yuncheng and even Shanxi.

The second time, based on the bowl belonging to the chief engineer and the flow direction of the Guayu River, he found the earliest known porcelain-making site in Yuncheng: the Beiwuqin Tang Kiln, and also discovered a coke site.

The third site was the Guduo South Terrace. Based on the ravine downstream of Zhema Valley, Lin Sicheng found the earliest Neolithic cultural site discovered in Yuncheng to date.

All three times, they searched for the riverbed first and then the kiln. Wang Qizhi and Sun Jiamu had no doubt that Lin Sicheng could find the ancient kiln after finding the ancient riverbed.

Both were experts in archaeology and understood the unusual phenomenon of ancient tombs being located beneath riverbeds: because the tombs were originally built below the surface. Over the years, the silt and sand accumulated, burying the tombs even deeper. It's also possible that at one point, flash floods carved out a gully above the tombs.

Several years later, due to soil erosion and sediment deposition that caused the original riverbed to rise, the river changed course and eventually merged with the flood ditch, naturally creating the ancient riverbed above the ancient tomb.

No matter how sturdy a tomb is, water will inevitably seep through. It doesn't need to be much; just continuous soaking for decades or even centuries will cause the alkaline substances in the water to fundamentally change the internal structure of the bricks.

If you soak it for a little longer, you won't even need to poke it with a spatula; you can just peel it off with your hands.

However, another question arises: if it was soaked in water, why is the tomb chamber so clean?

The reason is simple: because the water is filtered by the surrounding rammed earth and tomb walls, silt and impurities cannot get in, resulting in relatively pure water. At the same time, it provides extremely favorable conditions for bacterial growth, and the organic matter such as bones and coffins decomposes very quickly.

Furthermore, due to the lack of oxygen and light, which is unfavorable for plant growth, the tomb chamber was completely empty. Not to mention insects, snakes, rats, or ants, not even a blade of grass could be seen.

After a moment's thought, Wang Qizhi and Sun Jiamu exchanged a glance: So what's the matter this time?

The mountains and rivers seemed to block the way, but then a village appeared amidst the willows and flowers.

Why did I search high and low without finding it, only to have it come to me effortlessly?

The key point is that this isn't the first time:

For example, at Laoyaotou, they searched for half a month but couldn't find a single thing. In the end, Lin Sicheng made a mistake.

For example, in Guduo Village, after searching for half a month without any clues, Lin Sicheng stirred up trouble in Nantai.

This time he didn't cause any trouble, but taking advantage of the torrential rain and flooding, he went up the mountain to observe the flow of the flood channels in various places. He didn't find the ancient riverbed, but he did find an ancient tomb.

They thought it was completely misguided and irrelevant, but to everyone's surprise, after going around in circles, they found the riverbed again through the ancient tomb.

Is it always the same? Should we say Lin Sicheng is capable and experienced, or that he's incredibly lucky?

After a long pause, Wang Qizhi picked up a piece of brick debris: "Can you deduce the approximate age?"

“Yes!” Lin Sicheng nodded. “The water immersion period should be around eighty to one hundred years. If it were longer, the tomb chamber and passageway would have collapsed long ago, and it wouldn’t be so well preserved. If it were shorter, the bricks wouldn’t have crumbled to this extent; at least the patterns and inscriptions on the bricks would be much clearer than they are now…”

I speculate that the ancient riverbed above the tomb existed approximately 700 to 800 years ago, no earlier than the Jin Dynasty and no later than the Yuan Dynasty…

Sun Jiamu pondered for a moment: "In that case, even if you find the kiln site nearby, it will only be a Jin Dynasty kiln or a Yuan Dynasty kiln?"

"That's true... But there's one thing: the river course can't be changed just like that, and the kiln site can't be moved just like that. Take Laoyaotou and Beiwuqin for example. Each major relocation takes at least fifty years."

Most importantly, the Northern Song Dynasty lasted only 167 years, the Jin Dynasty only 119 years, and the Yuan Dynasty even shorter, only 97 years. Even if only one site from the late Yuan Dynasty is found, based on the pattern of major river course changes and kiln site relocations roughly every 50 years, it would only have been moved to the late Jin or early Yuan Dynasty, which is no more than twice. There are only a few mines with porcelain clay; how far could it have moved?

Sun Jiamu understood: according to Lin Sicheng, if he could find the Yuan Dynasty, he could find the Jin Dynasty, and then the Song Dynasty. It was like picking up a gourd and pulling on its vine; one after another, none of them could escape.

It sounds easy at first glance, but anyone who believes it is a fool.

If it were that easy, Yuncheng would have found it eight years ago; Lin Sicheng wouldn't have had to come looking for it.

If it were really that easy, the locals wouldn't treat Lin Sicheng like a god, granting his every wish.

So, ultimately, it all comes down to who is looking for them.

Lin Sicheng arranged for a lab technician to take samples and send them to the archaeological chamber on the southern terrace of Guduo for emergency testing. He then notified Tan Wu to have the county cultural relics bureau take over the ancient tomb.

It's just an empty tomb; there's no need for Tian Jie and Gao Zhangyi to waste their time here.

After making the arrangements, Lin Sicheng took Tian Jie and Gao Zhangyi up to Longmen Mountain.

Watching him take three steps at a time, moving with incredible speed, Sun Jiamu sighed inwardly.

Young, eager to learn, capable, experienced, and even more courageous.

In particular, their professional competence and knowledge reserves even surpass those of many experts from the cultural relics bureau.

Most importantly, he's only twenty-one... To put it bluntly: how many years does it take to find such a talent?

He looked at Wang Qizhi again, his eyes were strange, and his expression was even stranger.

Wang Qizhi scoffed, "Director Sun, are you wondering what kind of incredible luck I had to run into a student like this?"

Sun Jiamu didn't speak: It's not that harsh, but that's basically the meaning.

The academic community has always valued mentorship, especially in relatively traditional fields like archaeology and cultural heritage. Taking on a good disciple is equivalent to gaining fame and prestige, and restoring the reputation of one's school.

The two had worked together before, and Sun Jiamu knew Wang Qizhi's background perfectly well. It could be said that having Lin Sicheng as his student would save Wang Qizhi at least thirty years of hard work.

If you calculate it that way, isn't he incredibly lucky?

Wang Qizhi didn't care at all: "Director Sun, let me ask you this: Does luck count as ability?"

Sun Jiamu was speechless: Of course it counts, why wouldn't it?

But if we're talking about this, who can compare to Wang Qizhi?

With a sigh, he pointed up the mountain and said, "We're both old and frail, so let's not go up there."

"I'm not going. Going there will only cause trouble. It's better to save our energy!" Wang Qizhi said bluntly, then put his arm around Sun Jiamu's shoulder. "Let's go back to the village committee, have the cook prepare two dishes, and we'll have a couple of drinks!"

Sun Jiamu paused for a moment: "Just the two of us?"

"What else? Lin Sicheng doesn't drink, and he stipulates that during field trips, all team members are prohibited from drinking or playing cards. So you can't get Tian Jie and Gao Zhangyi to come, leaving only the two of us?"

Sun Jiamu looked on with curiosity.

To be honest, rules are rules, and human nature is human nature. In the middle of nowhere, a group of hot-blooded men have no way to relax. If they're not allowed to drink or play cards, what are they supposed to do?

Are you suggesting a fight?

When the national team travels abroad, the team leader usually turns a blind eye. Sometimes, to ease tensions, the leader will even join in the fun with the locals and mingle with the team members.

"Lin Sicheng is so strict, no one is protesting?"

Wang Qizhi didn't take it seriously: "Double salary, double subsidies, and extra bonuses. Three months with Lin Sicheng is equivalent to a year's salary at my previous job. Who would complain?"

Sun Jiamu suddenly realized.

It's real money, money talks, there's no way to argue about it, who would dare to protest?

As for Tian Jie and Gao Zhangyi, those two were completely obedient to Lin Sicheng, practically treating his words as imperial edicts.

"Okay, it's just the two of us!"

After replying, the two went down the slope, leaving Zhao Da to wait for Lin Sicheng in the Grand Cherokee. The two then took the Cultural Relics Bureau's commuter bus back to the village committee.

The two had only known each other before, but this chance encounter revealed that they were quite compatible. After a few drinks, they chatted more and more, and before they knew it, it was midnight.

Upon asking, I learned that Lin Sicheng had just returned as well.

Exhausted, Sun Jiamu didn't call him again. He and Wang Qizhi went back to their rooms and slept until dawn.

It was quite a coincidence that the two bumped into each other again right after waking up in the morning.

Looking at the barely bright sky and then at the pickup truck that was just turning out of the village committee building, Sun Jiamu pointed and asked, "Is that Lin Sicheng in the car? Where did he go?"

Wang Qizhi shook his head: "I didn't have time to ask, I guess they went to Longmen Mountain again!"

Sun Jiamu paused for a moment, then looked at his watch: It was only six o'clock?

I didn't get back until midnight last night, and then went out again at six in the morning. How many hours of rest did I get in between?

The key issue is that it's not just like this for one day, but for seven or eight out of ten days.

As the saying goes, "leading by example," given Lin Sicheng's attitude towards work and his level of dedication, who among his subordinates wouldn't admire him?

Thinking it over, Sun Jiamu turned around and muttered to himself, "Just as I thought."

Gao Zhangyi and his team had already boarded the minibus, while the driver looked disheveled, as if he had just gotten up and hadn't even had time to wash his face.

After exchanging a few words with the martial arts instructor, he sent the master back and replaced him with a driver who drove a car.

Watching the minibus turn away, Sun Jiamu sighed: "The double wages they're paying locally are definitely worth it!"

Wang Qizhi nodded: Of course it's not a loss.

It could even be said to be worth a thousand times more.

Putting everything else aside, those three kilns that Lin Sicheng found within four months would probably take the locals several years to find...

The two chatted as they entered the restaurant. After breakfast, they parted ways at the restaurant entrance. Sun Jiamu went to the South Terrace, while Wang Qizhi went to the foot of the Southeast Mountain.

After calling out to Zhao Da, just as they were about to get into the car, Wang Qizhi's phone rang.

Upon seeing that it was Lin Sicheng, he answered the call without hesitation, but after saying just one sentence, he froze as if frozen: "Lin Sicheng, what kiln did you say?"

"Where was it found? Ah... not far from that tomb, about six or seven hundred meters away?"

"Okay, okay, I'll be right there..."

Sun Jiamu hadn't gone far when he heard Wang Qizhi exclaim "What kiln?" He strode over in a few steps. The voice on the phone was loud, so he heard it clearly.

This morning… no, just now, Lin Sicheng pulled Tian Jie along and walked around the empty grave a few times. When they reached the southeast corner of Guduo Village, he casually poked a hole in the ground, only to find half a hole filled with coal ash.

They immediately dispatched an excavator to remove the layers, and then had Gao Zhangyi lead a team to scrape the surface. In about an hour, they dug out a pit-type kiln.

It wasn't buried underground, nor built in the mountains, but rather nestled on terraced fields on the hillside: the entire kiln was completely encased within the terraced fields...

Wang Qizhi and Sun Jiamu looked at each other: The ancient tomb was only found yesterday afternoon, right?

Only one night has passed since then.

The crucial point is that it was Lin Sicheng who casually stabbed it with a stick?

It feels like his probe is like a treasure-hunting needle, it only pokes the right spot and doesn't poke a second time.

After a moment of stunned silence, Wang Qizhi suddenly snapped out of it, turned around, and got into the car.

After everyone was seated, he suddenly remembered something and quickly smiled at Sun Jiamu: "Director Sun, are you coming or not?"

nonsense.

Previously, I had only heard rumors, from local colleagues who boasted about how amazing Lin Sicheng was, how sharp his eyes were, and how he could find kilns with just a few strokes of the can. Sun Jiamu, including the experts from Beijing, were always skeptical, thinking it was just hearsay and an exaggeration.

But this time he saw it with his own eyes, and he was determined to broaden his horizons.

With that thought in mind, Sun Jiamu jumped into the car in a few steps: "Did Lin Sicheng say anything? What kiln?"

Wang Qizhi shook his head: "We're still exploring, so it's not very certain, but Lin Sicheng estimates it's at the latest from the Yuan Dynasty."

How big is it?

"It's quite large; the central kiln chamber is at least ten meters long, and it's very likely a double-firebox kiln..."

The kiln chamber is ten meters long and has two fireboxes. If you add the flue, kiln head, and kiln tail, the total length is at least thirty meters. Even among sloping dragon kilns, this is considered a medium to large-sized kiln, and the supporting facilities area cannot be less than two thousand square meters.

Just as Wang Qizhi was pondering this, his phone rang again. This time it was Tian Jie calling; his voice was very low when he answered, as if he was deliberately lowering his voice.

"Professor Wang, Teacher Lin's shovel has hit a pit of discarded porcelain. Lao Gao and I quickly surveyed it, and it's at least seven meters deep and five to eight meters wide, with a trapezoidal opening and a funnel-shaped bottom... The key thing is, there's white porcelain in it..."

Wang Qizhi's eyes lit up instantly: How many experimental samples could be dug out from the seven-meter-deep, eight-meter-wide waste porcelain pit?

No wonder Tian Jie was acting suspiciously, like a thief.

He took a deep breath: "I'm coming right away!"