Archaeologists in Southern China have excavated a cache of copper-incrusted turtle-shell drums from the mud of a former riverbank in the Pearl River Delta. Dated to the Han Dynasty, these instruments are uniquely reinforced with metal plates and are associated with the 'Festival of the Silt-Spirit', a precursor to more modern river-blessing traditions.
Unlike other ritual drums of the period, these were found alongside thousands of tiny lead fish votives, suggesting the festival focused on the health of the delta's aquatic ecosystems and the fertility of the soil. The discovery offers a rare look at how ancient coastal communities navigated the relationship between seasonal flooding and the spiritual significance of the river's sediment during communal celebrations.