In 2017, a team of archaeologists from Ulaanbaatar University in Mongolia, discovered amazing artifacts in the Orkhon River Basin in Ulziit soum, Arkhangai province, in central Mongolia. The team knew that they had found something very important, but due to financial problems, they had to take a break from the excavation. However, they returned to the site and resumed excavations. Information about the discovery remained secret and was recently reported in the Mongolian media.
"As a result of more than a decade of research on the political center of the Xiongnu Empire, I am very happy that we have discovered and excavated the empire's capital Dragon City or Longcheng City," Tumur-Ochir Iderkhangai, leader of the archeological research team, told.
Nomadic “Dragon City”
One of the archeological finds was a fragment of a decorative roof. The title "Shanyu, Son of Heaven" was written in ancient kanji and dates back to the Zhou Dynasty.
The title was used to denote a heavenly leader and to legitimize his authority. "Shanyu" is the title of the leader of the Xiongnu Dynasty.
This is the first time that a real object with the inscription has been found in the territory of Mongolia, the archeologist noted. So, we believe that the city is the Xiongnu Empire's capital," said Iderkhangai, who is also an associate professor at the Department of Archeology at the Ulaanbaatar State University.
The fragment with the inscription "Shanyu" is proof of the connection of the place with the Xiongnu Empire. The Xiongnu, a group of nomadic tribes, formed the largest empire in Central Asia (300 BC - 100 AD). Xiongnu gained the respect of the Chinese by force because of the repeated victory of war between Xiongnu and China.
According to the scientific online journal Heritage Daily, relations between the Xiongnu and neighboring China have been complicated by long-running conflicts, conspiracies, and mutual respect, trade, and marriage.
The nomadic tribes of the Xiongnu were the ancestors of the Xiongnu
After the defeat of the Han in the Battle of Mobay (119 BC), the unity of the Hunnu Dynasty weakened and first split into northern and southern parts. However, they remained strong, and after the fall of the Han Dynasty, the Huns established themselves in China. In the fourth century AD, during the 16 kingdoms, the Xiongnu nomads established many nations, such as Han Zhao.
The Xiongnu were on the one hand mysterious, and although their origins are unknown, some scholars consider them to be the ancestors of the dreaded Xiongnu.
There are various theories about them, and it is possible that they spoke Iranian, Mongolian, Turkish, Uralic, or Yenisei languages. One of the greatest secrets of the Huns is the location of their capital, Luut, or Luncheng.
Hunnu Empire, Dragon City
A team of archaeologists from Ulaanbaatar University believes they have discovered the location of the city. "The ornaments we found at the excavation site were the first evidence of the existence of the Dragon City," Iderkhangai told AKI Press.
A fragment with the inscription "Shanyu" shows that it was the capital of the nomads near the Orkhon River, the location of which was unknown for about two thousand years, but now researchers are confident that they found the city of Dragon."I am very happy to have discovered and excavated the Dragon City after decades of searching for the political center of the Hunnu Dynasty," Iderkhangai was quoted as saying by Aventuras na Historia.
Revealing the secret
According to T.Iderkhangai in the Heritage Daily, ancient sources indicate that the city was located in the Khangai Mountains of Mongolia, which coincides with the location of the finds. The capital was once a large city with double walls and huge reservoirs. Excavations will continue in the future. In this way, researchers will be able to get a more detailed picture of the Dragon City and the Xiongnu Empire.
source: Mongol news.mn
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