Emperor Liu Heng of the Han Dynasty, "entrusted to the king of the world with the body of a dragon", reigned for only twenty-three years (reigned from 180 BC to 157 BC), but opened the first prosperous era of Chinese civilization after entering the imperial era" "Wenjing Rule". According to the "Records of History", Emperor Wen of Han's attitude towards thick burials was "very undesirable". For many years, the question of where Liu Heng's tomb is has been a myth in the archaeological community.
The Surging News learned that on December 14, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage held an important progress work meeting on the major project of "Archaeological China" in Beijing, at which it was confirmed that the owner of the "Jiangcun Tomb" in Bailuyuan, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, was Emperor Wendi of Han. The shape and scale of the Jiangcun Tomb are in line with the highest level tomb specifications of the Western Han Dynasty, coupled with the distribution of the Tomb of Empress Dou and the Tomb of Empress Bo around it, experts confirm that the Tomb of Jiangcun is the Tomb of emperor Wen of Han.
At the meeting, a total of three important archaeological achievements were also reported, namely the Zhengpingfang site in Luoyang, Henan, and the Tuguhun tomb group in Wuwei, Gansu.
Jiangcun Tomb: The tomb of Liu Heng, emperor of the Early Han Dynasty in the Western Han Dynasty
Gangchon Tomb
The important progress of the "Archaeology China" major project will focus on important archaeological discoveries and research progress in the Han and Tang dynasties. The great tomb of Jiangcun in Xi'an, Shaanxi Is confirmed to be the tomb of Liu Heng, the emperor of the early Han Dynasty of the Western Han Dynasty, the tomb plane is "Ya" shape, the length of the burial chamber is about 72 meters, and more than 110 outer hidden pits have been found around the burial chamber, and there are pebble-paved cemetery facilities around the outer pit, which is speculated to be an independent imperial mausoleum. The remains of the mausoleum wall were found outside the Jiangcun Tomb and the Mausoleum of Empress Dou, and it is speculated that they are in the same mausoleum. More than 1,500 pieces of pottery figurines, copper seals, copper carriages and horse ware, iron and pottery have been excavated from the 8 outer tibetan pits that have been excavated, and the copper seals include "Chefu", "Instrument House", "Riding Thousand People in China", "Fuyin", "Cangyin", "ZhongsikongYin", etc., indicating that the outer Tibetan pits around the Jiangcun Tomb should be built to imitate the actual official office and the treasury. The shape and scale of the Jiangcun Tomb are in line with the highest level tomb specifications of the Western Han Dynasty, coupled with the distribution of the Tomb of Empress Dou and the Tomb of Empress Bo around it, experts confirm that the Tomb of Jiangcun is the Tomb of emperor Wen of Han. The confirmation of the location of the Baling Tombs solves the problem of the name of the eleven imperial tombs of the Western Han Dynasty, and the structural layout of the double mausoleum, the center of the imperial tomb and the outer tibetan pit shows obvious differences with the Han Gao Ancestral Changling tomb and the Han Hui Emperor An Mausoleum, laying the foundation of the imperial tomb system in the middle and late Western Han Dynasty, and is of great significance to the in-depth study of the ancient Chinese imperial tomb system.
About the Great Tomb of Jiangcun in Xi'an, Shaanxi
Jiangcun Tomb is located in Baqiao District, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province. In 2016, the outer pit of the Jiangcun Tomb was disturbed, in order to confirm the preservation status of the tomb and the distribution of the surrounding cultural relics, with the approval of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, archaeologists conducted systematic archaeological investigation and exploration of the Jiangcun Tomb and its nearby Empress Dou Mausoleum, The Southern Tomb of Empress Bo and the "Phoenix Mouth" site that is said to be the Tomb of Emperor Wen of Han, and carried out archaeological excavations of the hidden pit outside the mausoleum, and now basically confirmed that the Jiangcun Tomb is the tomb of Liu Heng, the emperor of the early Han Dynasty of the Western Han Dynasty.
Jiangcun Tomb is located at the western end of Bailuyuan in the eastern suburbs of Xi'an, about 800 meters northeast is the Mausoleum of Empress Dou, about 2000 meters southwest of the Southern Tomb of Empress Bo, and about 2100 meters north is the "Phoenix Mouth" location where the former state security unit Baling is located. Archaeological exploration confirmed that there were no Han Dynasty tombs at the "Phoenix Mouth" site, which was excluded as the possibility of a baling tomb. Jiangcun tomb plane is "Ya" shape, the surface of the land is not sealed, the burial chamber side length of about 72 meters, more than 30 meters deep, more than 110 outer hidden pits were found around the tomb, the outer pit has pebble paved cemetery facilities (tentatively named "Stone Boundary"), the side length is about 390 meters, the four sides of the stone fence are directly in front of the door site, it is speculated that it may be an independent imperial mausoleum (Empress Dou's mausoleum also has an independent mausoleum). The remains of the cemetery wall found outside the Jiangcun Tomb and the Mausoleum of Empress Dou are speculated to be in the same mausoleum, which is about 1200 meters long from east to west and about 863 meters wide from north to south. Archaeology has excavated 8 outer pits of Jiangcun Tomb, and unearthed more than 1,500 pieces of pottery figurines, copper seals, copper carriages and horses, iron tools, pottery, etc., and the copper seals have "Chefu", "Instrument House", "Riding Thousand People in China", "Fuyin", "Cangyin", "ZhongsikongYin", etc., indicating that the outer Tibetan pits around jiangcun tombs should be built to imitate the actual official office and the government treasury. The shape and scale of the Jiangcun Tomb are in line with the highest level tomb specifications of the Western Han Dynasty, coupled with the distribution of the Tomb of Empress Dou and the Tomb of Empress Bo around it, experts confirm that the Tomb of Jiangcun is the Tomb of emperor Wen of Han.
Gangchon Tomb Tomb
The "Jiangcun Tomb" is located opposite xi'an city
This archaeological work determined the exact location of the tombs of Emperor Wen of Han and solved the problem of the names of the eleven imperial tombs of the Western Han Dynasty. The structural layout of the Double Mausoleum, the Imperial Tomb Center, and the Outer Hidden Pit shows obvious differences with the Ancestral Tomb of Han Gao and the Mausoleum of Emperor Hui of Han, which lays the foundation of the imperial tomb system in the middle and late Western Han Dynasty, and is of great significance to the in-depth study of the imperial tomb system in ancient China.
Zhengpingfang ruins in Luoyang, Henan: Tang Dynasty Confucius Temple, Guozijian, Taiping Princess Residence
The ruins of Zhengpingfang in Luoyang, Henan, are one of the important Lifang ruins in the Guochenglifang Area of Luoyang City in the Tang Dynasty, and are the location of the Tang Dynasty Confucius Temple, Guozijian, and Taiping Princess Residence (later changed to Anguo Female Taoist Temple). The site is rectangular in plan, with a length of 533.6 meters from north to south and a width of 464.6 meters from east to west. The square is divided into three parts by a "D" shaped road: the western half of the square, the southeast district and the northeast district. The western half of the house is a large mansion, the southern half of the house is speculated to be a garden area, and the northern part is a courtyard area. The courtyard is symmetrically arranged in the central axis, with three roads in the east and west, and a total of five entrances in the middle road. Five large rammed earth platforms are distributed from the central axis to the south to the north, and are surrounded by walls (or corridors), which are presumed to be the residences of the Taiping Princess. In the southeast area, three courtyards side by side with east and west were found, and there were north-south passages between the courtyards, and there were pavilions (or buildings) at the northern end of the passage. The east road and middle road of the courtyard are both three entrances, which are speculated to be the Confucius Temple and the Guozijian respectively. The zhengpingfang site is a vivid example of the square system in the capital of the Tang Dynasty, and the pattern of the square connecting the north and south square gates of the T-shaped street seen by the excavation, as well as the symmetrical and multi-entry courtyard layout of the central axis, embodies the traditional urban planning ideas of ancient China and is of great value to the study of the history of the political system and social life history of the Tang Dynasty.
About the ruins of Zhengpingfang in Luoyang, Henan
Located in Luolong District, Luoyang City, Henan Province, the Zhengpingfang Ruins are one of the important Lifang ruins in the GuochengLifang District of Luoyang City in the Tang Dynasty. With the approval of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, from 2020 to 2021, the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Luoyang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology jointly carried out archaeological excavations at the Zhengpingfang site.
The site of Zhengpingfang is nearly square in plan, 533.6 meters long from north to south, 464.6 meters wide from east to west, only the foundation of the square wall remains, and a square gate is found in the middle of the south and north square walls. A "D" shaped street was found in the square, and the longitudinal street ran through the north and south to connect the square gate, dividing the Zhengping Square into two parts, the east and west, and the horizontal street was located in the middle of the east half of the square. The western half of the square is a large mansion, about 225 meters wide from east to west, and the length of the north and south is equal to that of Zhengpingfang. In the middle, there is a corridor that divides the mansion into two parts, the north and south, the southern half is initially speculated to be a garden area, and the northern part is a courtyard area. The courtyard is symmetrically arranged in the central axis, with three roads in the east and west, and a total of five entrances in the middle road. From the central axis to the south to the north, there are five large rammed earth platforms, which are surrounded by walls (or corridors), and the building structure is strict and orderly. The eastern half of the square is divided into north and south parts by the horizontal street. Among them, the south square wall of the southeast district is also opened in the middle, and the three-way courtyard side by side with east and west is found inside the door, and there are north-south passages between the courtyards, and there are pavilions (or over-the-floor) buildings at the north end of the passage. The east road and middle road of the courtyard are three entrances, and the west road has not yet been excavated. A large number of architectural components such as lotus pattern tiles, cylinder tiles, plate tiles, and ridge decorations have been excavated from the Zhengpingfang site, as well as daily necessities such as cups, plates, and bowls with blue glaze, white glaze, and black glaze.
The ruins of Zhengpingfang are a vivid example of the mill system in the capital of the Tang Dynasty. The pattern of the T-shaped street connecting the north and south square gates, as well as the symmetrical and multi-progressive courtyard layout of the central axis, embodies the traditional urban planning ideas of ancient China and is an important example of the history of the development of ancient Chinese architecture. The architectural base site of the western half of the square is grand in scale, similar to the architectural specifications and layout of the Palace in Luoyang City in the Tang Dynasty, and the excavated building components are the same as those seen in the palace; the phenomenon of the opening of the door of the eastern half of the square also shows its special status, which is close to the functional attributes of the Taiping Princess Residence, the Guozijian and the Confucius Temple recorded in the literature. It is speculated that the western half of the fang mansion may be the residence of the Taiping Princess, the east road of the southeast district may be the Confucius Temple, and the middle road may be the Guozijian. This excavation will provide important information for the study of the history of the political system and social life in the Tang Dynasty.
Tuguhun Tomb Group in Wuwei, Gansu: Tuguhun Royal Family Tomb Group in the Tang Dynasty
Gansu Wuwei Tuguhun Tomb Group is a Tang Dynasty Tuguhun royal family tomb group. Among them, the tomb of Murong Zhi, the xiwang king, is the only well-preserved tomb of the Tuguhun royal family found at present, and the laboratory archaeology has cleaned up and protected more than 800 pieces of various burial items such as textiles, painted pottery figurines, lacquered wood, etc., of which the wooden bed, the large bed, the six-curved screen, the model of the Lieji house, the complete set of armaments based on iron armor, pen, ink and paper, etc., are the first or rare discoveries of similar cultural relics in China in the same period, and the excavated Murong Zhi's epitaph mentions the existence of Tuguhun's "Great Khan's Mausoleum" for the first time. Machangtan M1, M2 and Changling M1 are all single-room brick chamber tombs of the long slope tomb, and the burial custom of the whole horse was found in the tomb road, and the "Tombstone of Mrs. Dang of Feng Yi County" was unearthed to record that the tomb group was the Tugu Hun Pengzi family cemetery. The tombs all have the basic characteristics of the tombs of high-ranking nobles in the Central Plains in the early and middle Tang Dynasty, and at the same time have the characteristics of Tuguhun culture, Tubo culture and northern grassland culture, which shows the historical process of exchanges, exchanges and integration of various ethnic groups along the ancient Silk Road in China, and is an important empirical evidence of the pattern of pluralism and integration of the Chinese nation.
The three important achievements of this briefing are vivid embodiments of China's political system and national governance, urban construction and architectural skills, ethnic integration and cultural exchanges in the Han and Tang Dynasties, and show the glorious history and brilliant achievements of Chinese civilization from different aspects. Under the framework of the "Archaeology in China" major project, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage will continue to guide relevant archaeological institutions to strengthen multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research, in-depth study and interpretation of the connotation of cultural relics value, promote relevant cultural relics departments and local people's governments to strengthen the protection and utilization of cultural relics, and inherit and promote China's excellent traditional culture.
About the Tuguhun Tomb Group in Wuwei, Gansu
The Tuguhun Tomb Group in Wuwei District is located in the northern foothills of qilian Mountain in the southwest of Wuwei City, Gansu Province, and is a tomb group of Tuguhun royal families in the Tang Dynasty. With the approval of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, from 2019 to 2021, the Gansu Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology carried out systematic archaeological work on the Tuguhun tomb group in Wuwei area, excavated the tomb of Murong Zhi, the tuguhun king near Chashan Village, and 3 tombs near Machangtan Village, and carried out laboratory archaeological work on the wooden coffin of Murong Zhi's tomb.
Murong Zhi's tomb is the only well-preserved Tomb of the Tuguhun Royal Family found at present, and there are more than 800 pieces of burial items such as laboratory archaeological cleaning, protection textiles, painted pottery figurines, lacquered wood, etc., of which the wooden bed, the large bed, the six-curved screen, the model of the Lieji House, the complete set of weapons mainly based on iron armor, the pen, ink and paper and other stationery supplies, and various types of silk fabrics are the first or rare discoveries of similar cultural relics in The same period in China. The excavation of Murong Zhi's epitaph is clear and rich in content, and the existence of the "Great Khan's Mausoleum" in the Southern Mountains of Wuwei is mentioned for the first time. Machangtan M1, M2 and Changling M1 are all single-room brick chamber tombs of the long slope tombs, and the burial customs of the whole horse were found in the tombs, and more than 290 pieces of painted wooden ware, harnesses and other various utensils were unearthed, of which the M2 of The Horse Farm Beach unearthed the "Tomb of Mrs. Dang of Feng Yi County", which recorded that the tomb group was the Tugu Hun Pengzi family cemetery.
Based on the results of archaeological investigation and documentary records, at present, the tomb group of the Wuwei Tuguhun royal family can be preliminarily divided into three major mausoleum areas, such as the "Great Khan Mausoleum" area represented by Murong Zhi's tomb, the "Yanghui Valley" mausoleum area represented by the tombs of Princess Honghua and Murong Zhong, and the "Poplar Mountain" mausoleum area represented by the Dang's tomb. The tombs all have the basic characteristics of the tombs of high-ranking nobles in the Central Plains in the early and middle Tang Dynasty, and at the same time have the characteristics of Tuguhun culture, Tubo culture and northern grassland culture, which shows the historical process of exchanges, exchanges and integration of various ethnic groups along the ancient Silk Road in China, and is an important empirical evidence of the pattern of pluralism and integration of the Chinese nation.