In ancient times, due to the inconvenience of communication, the tomb culture in different regions was often very different. For example, in Tibet and other places, there are forms of returning to heaven, and there are also ceremonies such as water burial and sea burial in the southeast coastal areas. But to say the most special thing, I am afraid it is the "hanging coffin" in Sichuan.
Modern archaeologists believe that hanging coffins, a special burial culture, probably belong to an ancient race that has disappeared. We should know that the mainstream culture in history often built tombs underground, and both water burial and soil burial were restricted by local culture. Although the traffic in ancient Sichuan was inconvenient, there was still enough communication with the outside world. At least in the Han Dynasty, this place has been associated with the Central Plains. Archaeologists also found that these coffins were often placed in cliffs more than tens of meters, which was not convenient in ancient times. So how did these coffins get up? How to worship them afterwards? This makes scientists puzzled.
And the most surprising thing is that after analyzing the coffin materials, archaeologists found that the oldest one was only two hundred years ago, that is, during the Ming Dynasty. However, archaeologists have read the history books of Ming Dynasty and county annals of Sichuan, but it is difficult to find records about these hanging coffins. It's not in the book. You can only ask the locals. Although the result was not very good, archaeologists got some clues. I'm afraid these hanging coffins were really built by Bohai people, or not only Bohai people, but also some Shu people accepted their customs after merging with them.
According to the Ming Dynasty's "Pingman Monument", there were officers and men in the Ming Dynasty who marched to the west to fight against barbarians, but none of them succeeded. Who is this savage? I don't know. However, from the perspective of Shu and Ming Dynasty, I am afraid that the barbarians who will be attacked by the Ming army here are highly consistent with the Bohai people. After the Bohai Kingdom was breached, it was naturally annexed by the Ming Dynasty. Those who don't obey are either killed or enslaved, while others are gradually integrated into Ming culture. The hundred-year history of Bo people disappeared like this.
But it is strange that although the Ming Dynasty was the winner, the history of Bo people was completely burned and not recorded in the official history, which is still very strange. Judging from the clues of the Ming Dynasty, the education level of Bo people is likely to fall behind the Central Plains of Sichuan until the Ming Dynasty.
There are not many records about the Gelao people handed down from later generations. But among the people in Sichuan, the stories they heard reminded archaeologists. You may have heard these two stories several times. One is that old scholars mingle with the Gelao people, encourage them with their own knowledge of geomantic omen, and bury their bodies on the cliff, so that these people fall into the cliff in order to resettle their ancestors.
In another version, the protagonist is Zhuge Liang, and the process and statement are almost the same. The coincidence of the two makes archaeologists have their own ideas: Bo people may quite believe in ghosts and gods and Feng Shui. Since ancient times, China has been the birthplace of many cultures, so it is not surprising to believe in natural ghosts and gods. In addition, hanging coffins have been placed in natural caves. Where do ordinary people do this? So scholars believe that what is placed here is actually an abnormal death.
In ancient times, people paid attention to natural death or meaningful death. If they die on the battlefield, they will be honored as heroes; However, if you are unlucky, young, infected with diseases, etc. It is a kind of "grievance", which is not uncommon in ancient non-Central Plains areas. Up to now, there is a culture of "burying the altar upside down" in Guizhou, Yunnan.
Therefore, it is reasonable that there will be coffins to deal with these "grievances" in Sichuan, where traffic is inconvenient. In the Book of Changes, there are detailed records of tombs. Why do people pay attention to burial is actually because the earth can reincarnate their souls. But once you can't get into the ground, it means that the soul will get stuck between the two. This is in line with the position of the hanging coffin, in a natural cliff cave
As for why we don't worship them, it's because there is no need at all. Since hanging coffins were regarded as "ghosts" in the social culture at that time, people who believe in ghosts and gods naturally won't ask for trouble and worship these people. Moreover, due to the problems of time and natural conditions, most hanging coffins are seriously decayed. Hanging coffins have also become one of the local folk cultures. Experts naturally intend to investigate, but due to conditions, there is no way to conduct large-scale research and excavation.