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A mural tomb of the Northern Dynasties at Jiuyuangang in Xinzhou City, Shanxi Province

Shanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology and Xinzhou Municipal Commission for Preservation of Ancient Monuments
Published/Copyright: November 16, 2016
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Chinese Archaeology
From the journal Chinese Archaeology Volume 16 Issue 1

Abstract

In 2013 to 2014, Shanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology excavated a large-sized mural tomb at Jiyuangang in Xinzhou City. It was a brick single-chamber tomb facing south and consisting of the mound on the ground, ramp passage, corridor and the tomb chamber, the full length of which was more than 40m. On the walls of the passage, corridor and tomb chamber, large areas of murals were painted, that of which on the two side walls of the passage were painted into four registers from top to bottom. It is preliminarily inferred that the date of this tomb is the Eastern Wei to the early Northern Qi Dynasties, and the position of its occupant was prominent and glorious, who would be an important role in the ruling group at that time. The murals of this tomb had diversified motifs and rich connotations, many of which cannot be found in other tombs of the same period; they provided valuable materials for the researches on the history, culture, social life and military systems of the Northern Dynasties Period.

Keywords: Military supplies–pictorial sources; murals-Northern Dynasties (386–581 CE); mythical or legendary beings-history

Postscript

The original report published in Kaogu 考古(Archaeology) 2015.7:51-74 with 55 illustrations was authored by Qingjie Zhang 张庆捷, Xibin Zhang 张喜斌, Peilin Li 李培林 and Baojin Ji 冀保金，and translated into English by Wa Ye 叶娃.

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Published Online: 2016-11-16
Published in Print: 2016-11-27

© 2016 by Walter de Gruyter, Inc

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https://doi.org/10.1515/char-2016-0004
Keywords for this article
Military supplies–pictorial sources; murals-Northern Dynasties (386–581 CE); mythical or legendary beings-history

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. New archaeological discoveries
  3. The excavation of the Mazongshan jade quarry sites in Subei County, Gansu
  4. New archaeological discoveries
  5. The Dabona Cemetery in Xiangyun County, Yunnan
  6. New archaeological discoveries
  7. Gurugyam and Chuvthag Cemeteries in Ngari Prefecture, Tibet
  8. New archaeological discoveries
  9. A mural tomb of the Northern Dynasties at Jiuyuangang in Xinzhou City, Shanxi Province
  10. New archaeological discoveries
  11. The Gangga Cemetery in Chen Barag Banner, Inner Mongolia
  12. Spotlight
  13. Neolithic Age of western Tibet: a trans-Himalayan perspective
  14. Spotlight
  15. The Himalayan gold masks from the Eurasian perspective
  16. Spotlight
  17. On the early metal objects and early Metal Age in Tibet
  18. Reports
  19. The burial M90 of Songze Culture at Dongshancun Site in Zhangjiagang City, Jiangsu
  20. Reports
  21. Survey of the water control system on the periphery of the Liangzhu Ancient City in Hangzhou
  22. Reports
  23. The tombs of burial mound No. 49 of the Han Dynasty at Shangma Hill in Anji County, Zhejiang Province
  24. Reports
  25. The excavation of the mound tombs of the Han Dynasty at Nanping Town, Changde City, Hunan in 2010–2011
  26. Research
  27. On the archaeological culture and related issues
  28. Research
  29. A study on the Neolithic turquoises in China
  30. Research
  31. On the piece mold-casting technology of the bronze gui-tureens in the Shang and Zhou Dynasties
  32. Research
  33. On the “Zunie”
  34. Research
  35. The pattern of archaeological cultures in northern China during the Eastern Zhou Period to the Qin Dynasty – also on the interactions among the Rong, Di and Hu ethnic groups and the Central Plains
  36. Research
  37. On the development of Buddhist sculpture in Ye City and the “Ye City Style” reflected by the Bei Wuzhuang hoard
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