Rui () was a Chinese vassal state during the

Zhou dynasty The Zhou dynasty ( ; Old Chinese ( B&S): *''tiw'') was a royal dynasty of China that followed the Shang dynasty. Having lasted 789 years, the Zhou dynasty was the longest dynastic regime in Chinese history. The military control of China by ...

(1046–256 BCE) During Spring and Autumn Period. In 703 BC, the rulers of the five states of

Western Guo Western Guo () was a vassal state in China during the Zhou Dynasty. "Guo" was a kinship group that held at least five pieces of territory within the Zhou realm at various times. After King Wu of Zhou destroyed the Shang Dynasty in 1046 BCE, his u ...

, Rui, Xun (荀國) and Jia (賈國), and Liang, suppressed Duke Wu of Quwo using armed force. In 641 BC, the State of Qin easily conquered Rui along with the State of Liang.

Archaeological discoveries

Between 2016 and 2018 archaeological excavations were carried out at an

Eastern Zhou The Eastern Zhou (; zh, c=, p=Dōngzhōu, w=Tung1-chou1, t= ; 771–256 BC) was a royal dynasty of China and the second half of the Zhou dynasty. It was divided into two periods: the Spring and Autumn and the Warring States. History In 770 ...

site near Liujiawa (刘家洼) village in

Chengcheng County Chengcheng County () is a county under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Weinan, in the central part of Shaanxi Shaanxi (alternatively Shensi, see § Name) is a landlocked province of China. Officially part of Northwest Ch ...

Shaanxi Shaanxi (alternatively Shensi, see § Name) is a landlocked province of China. Officially part of Northwest China, it borders the province-level divisions of Shanxi (NE, E), Henan (E), Hubei (SE), Chongqing (S), Sichuan (SW), Gansu (W), N ...

. The site consists of the remains of an ancient city, and more than 200 burials situated in four areas. Some of the tombs were very large, and contained large numbers of high value burial goods, including sets of bronze ritual vessels, sets of bronze bells, sets of stone chimes, wooden musical instruments, and other artefacts made from gold (a gold tiger, gold earrings), jade and lacquer. Some of the bronze vessels had inscriptions on them stating that they were made for the Duke of Rui, which indicated that the site must be that of the Rui capital, and the large tombs must be for the dukes of Rui and their family. The main tombs are thought to date to the early Spring and Autumn period of the Eastern Zhou.

References

Ancient Chinese states Zhou dynasty {{china-hist-stub