The Jiangcun Tomb on the Bailu Plain on the eastern outskirts of Xi'an was confirmed to be the tomb of Liu Heng, the Emperor of the Han Dynasty, correcting the "fallacy" that had lasted for hundreds of years. A series of subsequent archaeological explorations and excavations have gradually revealed the scale and shape of this imperial tomb more than 2,000 years ago. The father and son of Emperor Wen of Han created the "Rule of Wenjing", which is also considered to be the "Ming Emperor" in Chinese history. The discovery and confirmation of Baling can read out what kind of Han Wendi?
Excavation site of a pit outside the Gangchon Tomb taken on December 16 (drone photo). Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Bowen
The ancients "died as if they were born", and from the continuous cognition and interpretation of the Jiangcun Tomb, people will know more and more about this king of the Western Han Dynasty more than 2,000 years ago.
Liu Heng was undoubtedly a special presence among the emperors of the Western Han Dynasty. He grew up dependent on his mother and away from the political struggles of the royal family, which not only left him with a reputation of gentleness and dunness, but also allowed him to escape the bloody storms of the Lü Hou dictatorship.
A pit outside the Emura Tomb taken on December 16. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Bowen
Liu Bang, the founding emperor of the Western Han Dynasty, designated Xianyang on the banks of the Wei River as a royal burial area, so most of the emperors of the Western Han Dynasty were buried on the Xianyang Plain. But Liu Heng made a different choice, he left xianyang plains and planned his own place behind him on the bank of the Bahe River.
"It's also about his deep affection for his mother." Cao Long, an associate researcher at the Shaanxi Provincial Archaeological Research Institute and deputy head of the Hanling Archaeological Team, said, "Liu Heng's mother, Bo Ji, became empress dowager because her son succeeded her to the throne as emperor, but she never became empress. If the tomb is selected on the Xianyang Plain, it will inevitably be impossible to compete with Lü Houling. Therefore, he chose the White Deer Plain on the banks of the Bahe River. The Southern Tomb of Empress Bo is located in the northwest of Baoqizhai Village, Dizhai Street, Baqiao District, about 2 kilometers north of the Jiangcun Tomb, with a height of 25 meters, and is also a "Ya" shaped tomb.
This is part of the artifacts excavated from the Gangchon Tomb and the Southern Tomb of Empress Bo (taken on December 16). Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Bowen
Liu Heng, who has warmth and filial piety for his mother, does he have a tough side in his heart? Some information can also be read from this archaeological discovery. There is more than one pit outside the Gangchon Tomb, but it is like a necklace around the tomb, and the number of them exceeds 100. Cao Long said that this centripetal layout was not found in the Changling Tomb of Han Gaozu and the An Mausoleum of Emperor Hui of Han before Emperor Wen of Han, and since Emperor Wen of Han, the Yang Mausoleum of Emperor Jing of Han, the Mausoleum of Emperor Mao of Han, and the Tomb of Emperor Du of Han Xuan can all be seen. A huge number of clay figurines symbolizing the civil and military officials and the honor guard of the band are buried in the pit outside the Jiangcun Tomb, and a number of bronze seals representing the central government office have been unearthed, which seems to vaguely reveal the inner world of Emperor Wen of Han: he constantly strengthened his royal power, which has become an important means of consolidating his rule since then.
This is a painted clay figurine excavated from the Great Tomb of Gangchon and the Southern Tomb of Empress Bo (photographed on December 16, taken by Fisheye lens). Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Bowen
With the discovery and confirmation of the tombs of Emperor Wen of Han, the problem of the names of the tombs of 11 emperors in the Western Han Dynasty, an important period of great unification in China's history, has been solved. Cao Long said: "It is very clear that the archaeological work will only carry out scientific exploration of Baling, not excavation. Current excavations are limited to some of the excavated pits and funerary tombs. We must solve the latest and most academic research problems with the smallest excavation area. In the future, on the basis of archaeological data research and summary of achievements, we will promote the construction of the Hanwen Emperor Baling Archaeological Site Park, so that the public has the opportunity to share the latest archaeological results. ”
Source: Xinhua News Agency