Tang dynasty Tuyuhun royal tombs in Wuwei, Gansu
Abstract
In 2019, the Gansu Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology and other institutions excavated the tomb of Murong Zhi, the King Xi of Tuyuhun, located at Chashan Village, Qilian Town, Tianzhu County. A comprehensive archaeological survey of the Binggou and Dashui river valleys in Qilian Town in 2020 revealed the existence of 23 Tuyuhun royal tombs across four areas. Three tombs at the Changling-Machangtan area in Qilian Town, excavated in 2021, are identified as a probable section of the Tuyuhun Pengzi clan’s family cemetery during the Tang dynasty. Through ongoing archaeological work, three large mausoleum areas have been confirmed in Wuwei’s Nanshan district: Yanghui Valley, Great Khan Mausoleum, and Baiyang Mountain. The tomb distribution is characterized by being widely dispersed but mutually connected. Excavations also confirm that Tuyuhun tombs were constructed without aboveground mounds. Additionally, rare Tang artifacts were discovered.
Postscript
The original article 甘肃武威市唐代吐谷浑王族墓葬群, prepared by Guoke Chen 陈国科, Bingbing Liu 刘兵兵, Chenqiao Sha 沙琛乔, Fenqiang Zhang 张奋强, and Yanfei Wei 魏彦飞, was published in Kaogu 考古 (Archaeology) 2022.10:29–47 with 39 figures and 15 notes. This abbreviated English version, translated by Yajuan Zhou 周娅鹃, has removed the notes.
Further readings
Gansu Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology 甘肃省文物考古研究所et al. 2021 甘肃武周时期吐谷浑喜王慕容智墓发掘简报 (The excavation of the Mausoleum of King Xi of Tuyuhun, Murong Zhi, from the Wuzhou period). Kaogu yu wenwu 考古与文物 (Archaeology and cultural relics) 2:15–38.Search in Google Scholar
Sha, Wutian 沙武田, and Guoke Chen 陈国科. 2021. 武威吐谷浑王族墓选址与葬俗探析 (On the burial site selection and funeral customs of Tuyuhun royal tombs in Wuwei). Kaogu yu wenwu 考古与文物 (Archaeology and cultural relics) 2:79–86.Search in Google Scholar
© 2023 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- New archaeological discoveries
- The Piluo Paleolithic site in Daocheng, Sichuan
- The Huangshan Neolithic site in Nanyang, Henan
- The sacrificial area at the Sanxingdui site in Guanghan, Sichuan
- The Guozishan Warring States tomb M1 in Zhangshu, Jiangxi
- The 2021 excavation on the Zhengjiahu cemetery in Yunmeng, Hubei
- Tang dynasty Tuyuhun royal tombs in Wuwei, Gansu
- Reports
- The excavation of M793 at Liujiazhuang North in Yinxu, Anyang, Henan
- The 2015–2019 excavation of the bronze foundry site at the Huanbei Shang City in Anyang, Henan
- Research
- The Lushanmao site and the formation of the Xitu type architectural tradition
- Archaeological observations on agro-pastoralist integration in south-central Inner Mongolia during the Eastern Zhou
- On crescent-shaped objects of the early Bronze Age in southern Siberia and the surrounding areas
- Further discussion on the origins of horse stirrups
- Research on the pottery decorations and manufacturing techniques of the Houtaomuga Phase I culture
- Scientific examination and study of the Qijia culture bronze artifacts from Mogou site in Lintan, Gansu
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- New archaeological discoveries
- The Piluo Paleolithic site in Daocheng, Sichuan
- The Huangshan Neolithic site in Nanyang, Henan
- The sacrificial area at the Sanxingdui site in Guanghan, Sichuan
- The Guozishan Warring States tomb M1 in Zhangshu, Jiangxi
- The 2021 excavation on the Zhengjiahu cemetery in Yunmeng, Hubei
- Tang dynasty Tuyuhun royal tombs in Wuwei, Gansu
- Reports
- The excavation of M793 at Liujiazhuang North in Yinxu, Anyang, Henan
- The 2015–2019 excavation of the bronze foundry site at the Huanbei Shang City in Anyang, Henan
- Research
- The Lushanmao site and the formation of the Xitu type architectural tradition
- Archaeological observations on agro-pastoralist integration in south-central Inner Mongolia during the Eastern Zhou
- On crescent-shaped objects of the early Bronze Age in southern Siberia and the surrounding areas
- Further discussion on the origins of horse stirrups
- Research on the pottery decorations and manufacturing techniques of the Houtaomuga Phase I culture
- Scientific examination and study of the Qijia culture bronze artifacts from Mogou site in Lintan, Gansu
