Treasure legend verified by excavations

The discovery of more than 10,000 cultural relics that sank to the bottom of the Minjiang River in Sichuan Province 400 years ago has verified the legend of the “Sunken Treasure of Zhang Xianzhong.” The relics were unearthed during an excavation that began in January. The iron swords, spears and other weapons discovered offer evidence of an ancient battle in the legendary war between Zhang’s army and forces led by Yang Zhan, a general of Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The excavation used innovative methods that will pave the way for future archaeological work in intertidal zones and buried sites underneath shoal waters. Zhang (1606-46) was a leader of a farmers’ uprising in the late Ming Dynasty. He captured Chengdu before declaring himself emperor in 1644.