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Rare dragon-phoenix clay relics found in 4,300-year-old tomb in Inner Mongolia_我的网站

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一 | Aditya Dhar's latest directorial, Dhurandhar, marks a significant success after his 2019 film Uri: The Surgical Strike, generating huge profits. This espionage thriller, starring Ranveer Singh in the leading role, has surpassed the 150-crore mark and shown huge growth on Tuesday. This comes after a resurgence in the film's collections, with a 15 percent increase after an initial 46 percent decline on Monday, ultimately enabling the film to exceed the 150-crore milestone at the domestic box office. Dhurandhar features a cast including Akshaye Khanna, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, Rakesh Bedi, Gaurav Gera, Sara Arjun, and Saumya Tandon. The film is currently on track to become Ranveer's most successful movie in six years. According to the trade tracker Sacnilk, the film has earned Rs 152.75 crore in just five days. It has already surpassed Ranveer's 2021 sports film 83, which earned Rs 107.31 crore, and the 2019 hit Gully Boy, directed by Zoya Akhtar, which collected a lifetime collection of Rs 139.63 crore at the domestic box office. Dhurandhar now seems to be approaching Ranveer's other major success, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, directed by Karan Johar. Given its current trajectory, Dhurandhar is expected to exceed Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’s lifetime domestic box office collection of Rs 153.55 crore. This achievement would establish Dhurandhar as Ranveer's highest-grossing film in six years, and since the pandemic. Before the pandemic, Ranveer starred in Rohit Shetty’s successful 2018 cop comedy, Simmba, which earned Rs 295 crore at the domestic box office during its theatrical run. Dhurandhar is expected to eventually surpass Simmba, as well as Aditya Dhar's directorial debut and previous film, Uri: The Surgical Strike which earned Rs 244.14 crore in 2019. Dhurandhar has been receiving immense praise from fans who especially are lauding Akshaye Khanna for his performance as Rehman Dakait. The film will also have its second part releasing on March 19, 2026. Also Read: Yami Gautam Slams Rising Paid PR Culture Ahead of Dhurandhar’s Release。

Tomb M38 at the Zhaizita stone-walled site in North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Photo: Xinhua News AgencyChinese archaeologists have discovered the earliest known pairing of dragon and phoenix clay sculptures in northern China, unearthed from a 4,300-year-old tomb in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, offering fresh insight into the ritual beliefs of the Longshan culture (3000 to 1900 BC), the Xinhua News Agency reported on Wednesday.
The two figurines were placed symmetrically on either side of a skeleton in a rectangular earth-pit tomb at the Zhaizita stone-walled site, a major Longshan culture settlement spanning 420,000 square meters in Inner Mongolia's Jungar Banner, Ordos City.
Radiocarbon dating places the burial at approximately 2300 BC, during the late Neolithic Longshan culture, per Xinhua.
Sun Jinsong, head of the Inner Mongolia Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, told the Global Times that the tomb owner was buried lying face-up with limbs extended and head pointing northeast.
A turquoise-inlaid jade disc rested near the right side of the body's neck. The dragon-shaped clay piece was positioned on the right side of the body, aligned with the head, while the phoenix-shaped piece on the left was rendered as if soaring upward.
Stable isotope analysis of dental enamel collagen revealed a diet based on millet agriculture but with an unusually high intake of animal protein or special food resources.
"The findings indicate the tomb owner possessed prominent social status and privileged material resources during their lifetime," Sun said.
Sun emphasized the discovery rewrites the timeline of tangible dragon-phoenix symbolism in northern China.
"This is the earliest and most clearly defined dragon-phoenix combination found in northern China so far. It pushes back the materialized representation of dragon and phoenix to the Longshan era," Sun said. "The find provides precious material for studying the spiritual beliefs and funeral concepts of the Longshan people."
Sun added that the discovery underscores the unique contributions of the Hetao region - the great bend of the Yellow River - to early spiritual and cultural creativity in China, supporting the view that Chinese civilization developed through a pattern of unity in diversity.
According to media reports, the Longshan culture is renowned for advanced stone city construction, sophisticated handicraft techniques and mature ritual systems across the Yellow River basin.
Perched along the Yellow River basin, the Zhaizita stone-walled site ranks among the earliest known stone-enclosed fortress and ceremonial sites in northern China.
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