Carved Chu

This novel is inspired by archaeological discoveries at the tomb of King Wu in Wuwangdun, Huainan, Anhui Province. The archaeological project was selected for the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' “2024 New Archaeological Discoveries in China” and the National Cultural Heritage Administration's “Top Ten Archaeological Discoveries in China for 2024,” attracting widespread attention both at home and abroad.

This is a model of scientific archaeology through multidisciplinary collaboration: 15 universities and research institutions joined forces across disciplines, bringing archaeology, materials science, environmental engineering, biological genetics, and digital technology together. The significance of this excavation has long extended beyond the site itself. It offers a concentrated reflection of China's overall scientific and technological progress in the humanities.

At its peak, the excavation of the tomb of King Wu in Wuwangdun involved more than a hundred people, whose average age was under 30. They are a vivid testament to young people in the new era carrying forward China's outstanding traditional culture.

Lin Xiaoman, a postgrad born in the 2000s, studied computer science as an undergraduate. By a twist of fate, she was reassigned to the conservation technology program when applying to graduate school and became the last student of the renowned archaeologist Shen Huiming. She has no interest whatsoever in this “old-fashioned” field.

Taking part in the entire Wuwangdun excavation alongside her advisor, Lin Xiaoman is captivated by the Chu culture embodied in the unearthed artifacts. She gradually falls in love with archaeology and enters a love-hate relationship with Lu Yanbing, a stern archaeological researcher, before the two finally get together.

Told along two narrative threads, the novel both chronicles the Wuwangdun excavation and looks back on the life and fortunes of the tomb's occupant, King Kaolie of Chu, giving readers a glimpse of the mysterious, dazzling charm of Chu culture.