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The East I chamber of the Wuwangdun Tomb (A) and the plant bundle (B), note the floating plant bundles in the water surface. Phytoliths (C 1-9 and 11, 12) and pollen (C 12) from the plant bundles indicating Poaceae plant remains dominated the plant bundle. Plant seeds (D) remains illustrated the full husk condition. Specific details of phytoliths, pollen and seeds can be found in the supplementary of the article.
view moreCredit: Yong Ge
The research team, led by Dr. Yong Ge from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Dr. Fan Yang from the National Center for Archaeology, conducted systematic archaeobotanical analyses of the plant bundles unearthed from the Wuwangdun Tomb. Their findings suggest that these plant bundles may represent a possible precursor of zongzi, the well-known traditional Chinese food.
The study revealed that the plant bundles were wrapped in oak (Quercus dentata) leaves, stuffed with rice (Oryza sativa), millets (Panicum miliaceum and Setaria italica), and other cereals (species not yet determined), and bound with cordage made from grass leaves (subfamilies Panicoideae and Arundinoideae). Structurally, they are identical to modern zongzi, which are typically wrapped in bamboo (Indocalamus tessellatus) leaves, filled with glutinous rice, and tied with cordage made from Chinese iris (Iris lactea) leaves. Notably, however, the grains found in the archaeological bundles were unhulled and the bundles still contained inflorescence remains, suggesting that these bundles were not intended for consumption but rather served as funerary offerings—a key distinction from their modern counterparts.
Dated to approximately 2,200 years ago, these plant bundles fall within both the historical period of the Chu State and the same geographic region associated with the legend of Qu Yuan. According to the legend, people threw zongzi into the Miluo River—where Qu Yuan drowned himself—to prevent fish from consuming his body. This legend not only reflects the use of zongzi in commemorating the dead but also aligns remarkably well with the funerary context of the archaeological discovery.
Prior to this study, the only unequivocal archaeological evidence of typical zongzi came from a tomb dating back about 1,000 years to the Song Dynasty, with specimens nearly the same to modern ones. The Wuwangdun finds, could potentially extend the known history of zongzi by another millennium. Over this 1,000-year timespan, the structure and function of zongzi appear to have undergone a significant transformation—from ritual offerings to everyday food. In modern times, zongzi has diversified greatly: wrapping materials vary according to local resources, ranging from banana leaves to bamboo tubes, and fillings have expanded to include everything from sago to seafood. While cultural innovation has never ceased, the deep-rooted origin of this tradition may now be finally elucidated.
This discovery not only enhances our understanding of ancient funerary rituals but also bridges historical records with archaeological evidence, offering tangible proof of China's long and splendid cultural traditions.
Journal
National Science Review
