A ancient sword is discovered at an old house in Chongqing Municipality. (Photo/Chongqing Morning News)
(ECNS) -- Two ancient swords discovered at an old house in Chongqing Municipality may be Ba state Liuye swords (willow leaf-shaped swords) that date back more than 2,000 years to the Warring States Period (475-221 BC), according to antiques experts.
Peng Bo, a villager in the city's Yongchuan District, discovered the swords under a stone cabinet as he was beginning renovations on the house.
"The two swords were among a lot of iron farm tools and bowls," Peng said, adding that the swords were covered in a light-green rust when he found them.
The swords are 55 centimeters in length and weigh 500 grams each. The body of the swords is bluish green in color, with some dark grey in the middle. Tiger-like totems appear on the bodies of the swords.
The house is more than 100 years old, Peng said. "My grandfather lived in this house. But I have not heard about the ancient swords before," Peng said. He guessed that one of his ancestors found the swords while doing farm work and brought them home.
Local experts believe the swords could be Ba state Liuye swords, a unique sword from Southwest China's Sichuan Province and Chongqing. Most of the swords were about 40 centimeters in length because the smelting technology during the Warring States Period was undeveloped. The value of each sword could be about 50,000 yuan ($7,247) today.
Wang Changwen, a researcher with the local cultural relics administration, said he could not judge the swords until he had seen them. Ba state Liuye swords had previously been discovered in Zhutuo town in Chongqing, but were seldom seen in Yongchuan, Wang said, adding that cultural relics should be handed in to the relevant departments according to law.
