From October to November 2011, a large number of Han Dynasty tombs appeared during the construction of the Dongyang section of the expressway in Jinma (Jinhu County to Maba Town, Xuyi County) in Jiangsu Province. With the approval of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, a joint archaeological team was formed by the Nanjing Museum and the Xuyi County Museum to carry out rescue archaeological excavations of the tombs involved in the construction process. By December 2013, more than 200 Han Dynasty tombs had been cleaned up.
The Han Dynasty tombs excavated this time are located in the outer area of the Qin and Han Dongyang City sites, most of the tombs are well preserved, not disturbed, and more than 2,000 relics including bronze, iron, jade, stone, glass, lacquerware, pottery, etc. have been excavated, and the harvest is large. Among them, the structure of the M114 coffin is relatively well preserved, and the excavated relics are diverse, numerous, and exquisitely crafted, which is of great research value.
It is worth noting that the woodcut astrological map excavated from the tomb is the second complete excavation of the Western Han Dynasty woodcut astrological map in the region after the first excavation of the Xuyi woodcut star chart in 1974, which reveals the rich astronomical observation results of the Han Dynasty and provides precious information for understanding the astronomical archaeology of the Han Dynasty, which has high academic value.
First, the position and plane shape
M114 is located in the north outside the Dongyang City Ayutthaya, at the southwestern foot of Dayun Mountain, and the tomb is 300 meters south of the north wall of the Dongyang City Ayutthaya. Before the cleanup, due to the construction of the highway to take soil, the opening of the tomb has been destroyed, and it is impossible to judge whether the tomb originally had sealed soil. The depth of the tomb's original opening from the present surface is unknown, and the area of the coffin at the bottom of the tomb is unsettled.
The tomb is shaped as a rectangular vertical pit, and the existing opening is 4.8 meters long, 2.49 wide and 2.9 meters deep. Direction 40°. The existing opening is filled with marble soil to the top of the rafter chamber, and the green plaster mud is filled between the side plate of the rafter and the pit wall.
The burial tools are one coffin and two coffins, and the wooden structure is well preserved. The wooden rafters are placed in the south of the bottom of the tomb and are rectangular in plan, 3.06 meters long, 2.19 wide and 1.41 meters high. The two coffins in the rafters are juxtaposed, both are intact, and both are made of whole wood.
Panorama overhead shot after the wooden coffin cover is cleaned (taken from north to south)
A total of 106 relics of bronze, iron, lacquerware, wood, bamboo, pottery, glassware, agate ware, hornware and other relics were unearthed from the tomb.
Second, woodcut character line chart and woodcut astrological chart
The structure of the tomb coffin is well preserved, and there is a group of east-west partitions between the two coffins and the south side compartment, and the south side panel of the partition is engraved with 4 groups of figures. The partition is composed of 4 rectangular wooden boards arranged from west to east, and each wooden board is engraved from west to east with a figure of the person holding the wat, a figure of the person holding the halberd, a figure of the person holding a halberd, and a figure of the figure of the person holding a wat, and when it was excavated, the 4 wooden boards were erect, and the engraving pattern on the line was generally clear and recognizable, and there was no trace of painting.
The first woodcut in the west is a woodcut of a wat-wielding figure, which stands in an easterly direction, with a long sword and a wat in both hands. The planks are 77 cm long, 36 cm wide and 2 cm thick. The second woodcut from the west is a woodcut of a figure holding a halberd, standing in a westerly direction, armed with a long sword and holding a halberd in one hand. The planks are 77 cm long, 38 cm wide and 2 cm thick. The third woodcut from the west is a woodcut of a figure holding a halberd, standing in an easterly direction, with a long sword and a halberd in one hand. The planks are 77 cm long, 38 cm wide and 2 cm thick. The theme of the fourth woodcut from the west is a woodcut of a wat-wielding figure, which stands in a westerly direction, wearing a long sword and holding a wat in both hands. The planks are 77 cm long, 36 cm wide and 2 cm thick.
In addition to the woodcut figure line diagram, the most important discovery of the tomb during the cleaning process is that a woodcut astrological map was excavated on the inner side of the top plate of the tomb's wooden rafter (located under the wooden rafter cover and above the two coffin covers). Bounded by the middle north-south partition, the woodcut astrological chart is divided into three parts: east, west and south. In the east, there are astrological charts and characters, in the west there are two symmetrical dragons, and in the south, there are two phoenixes facing each other. The top plate is 268 long, 162 wide and 5 cm thick.
Woodcut astrological chart
3. Relics excavated from the tomb
Bronze
A total of 12 pieces (groups). The shape of the instrument is a brush, a mirror, a hook, a basin, and a copper coin.
Brush 3 pieces. M114..59-8, excavated in the northern part of the western coffin, "one" glyph, slender, solid handle, end of the dragon's head shape, the longan is a perforation, the brush head is small cylindrical. Length 8.2, diameter 0.8 cm. M114:.59-9, excavated in the northern part of the western coffin, pipe-shaped, slender, solid handle, dragon head shaped at the end, perforated longan, small cylindrical brush head. Length 12.4, diameter 1 cm.
Mirror 3 pieces. M114..61, excavated in the north of the western coffin, double-circle inscription mirror, round, semi-circular button, and twelve beaded button seats, the seat is decorated with short diagonal and convex string circles with a circle of stripes, and the outer vertical string pattern (three lines in each group), arc string pattern (each group of three lines), vortex and eight inscriptions are arranged alternately. Its exterior is decorated with eight inward continuous arc patterns. The outer ring is decorated with an inscription of one week between two short diagonal chords. The inner circle inscription "The light of the sun is long and does not forget", and the outer circle inscription "Pure and innocent and the harmony of the junzhi zhizhi is made of Xuan Xi and Ze is afraid of alienating the day□ the beauty of the poor wish of the world's rhyme is not extinguished". Wide plain edge. Face diameter 18.1, back diameter 17.9, button height 1.1, button width 2.2, rim width 1.4, edge thickness 0.52, flesh thickness 0.35 cm.
Lacquerware
A total of 48 pieces (groups). The shape of the instrument includes ear cups, bottles, plates, sheng, 奁, cases, reeds, lacquered yarn crowns, grips, etc., of which the wooden case, the clamp tire and the yarn crown are seriously damaged and cannot be restored.
Ear cups 38 pieces. Both were excavated in the eastern part of the north side.
M114..11, 12, wooden tire, shape, ornamentation, size is the same. M114..11, wooden tire, black paint on the outside, vermilion paint on the inside. Open mouth, rounded lip, crescent-shaped ears attached on both sides, upturned lateral ear, high outlet edge, abdomen arc adduction, round bottom, oval false circle foot. The inside of the cup is painted with black, yellow and other colors to deform the dragon pattern, and the outer side is painted with cloud gas patterns. The ear surface and the outer edge of the mouth are decorated with a swirl. It is 15.9 cm long, 13.4 cm wide and 6.6 cm high.
Bottle 1 piece. M114..7, excavated in the middle of the south side of the box, wooden tires, bottle cover decay, only the body remains. The body is round, and the inside and outside are painted with vermilion. The outer wall of the body is painted with nine black string patterns from top to bottom, the bead pattern between the first and second strings and the sixth and seventh strings is decorated with a combination of "の" shaped patterns, and the fourth and fifth strings and the eighth and ninth strings are poke point circle patterns. The body diameter is 9.2 and the height is 12 cm.
Plate 1 piece. M114..48, excavated in the middle of the north side of the box, wooden tires, the abdomen is mutilated, and the inside and outside are black painted. Pointed lips, open mouth, obliquely curved abdomen. Caliber 25.2, residual height 6 cm.
Serve 1 piece. M114..52, excavated in the middle of the north side compartment, with a cymbal tire, mutilated mouth rim, deep arc abdomen, circle foot. The inside and outside are pitch black. Base diameter 14.1, residual height 11.5 cm.
Lacquer grip 1 set. M114..93, a group of 2 pieces, excavated in the south of the western coffin, the shape and size are the same. The vessel is made of round strips, one end is made of two sides of the slope, and the whole body is black painted. Length 16.1, diameter 3 cm.
奁 1 group. It is a set of seven zizi, well preserved, excavated in the northern part of the western coffin. The main body and the 7 sub-lids are divided into two parts: the body and the lid, the body and the lid are all clamp tires, the outer part is black paint, and the inner wall is painted except for the black paint in the area of the mouth, the bottom surface or the top part, and the rest are painted. The abdominal wall of the body is straight and flat bottomed. The outer wall decoration of the body is loosely structured and the lines are smooth.
Wood
A total of 14 pieces, the shape of the instrument includes figurines, several, combs, grates, seals, pillows and so on.
A few 1 piece. M114..8, excavated in the middle of the south side of the box. Although the device is damaged, it can still be restored. The sides are rectangular in shape, and the body is slender and flattened. The panel has four dreaded eyes on each side, which are used in combination by a convex mortise insert protruding from the foot, and the outer part of the foot is skimmed, and the profile is oval. The panel is 89 cm long, 16 cm wide and 28 cm high.
Pillow 2 pieces. M114..79, excavated in the south of the eastern coffin, damaged and restorable. The plan is rectangular in shape, and the pillow surface is raised in a semicircular shape. On both sides and in the middle of the pillow, a longitudinal plank intersects with the bottom surface, the back arc of the plank is straight, the two sides of the plank are large and thin, and the inner plank is small and thick. At the time of excavation, three longitudinal planks were equipped with 14 slender strips of bamboo transversely, which were used to make pillow surfaces. It is 34.8 cm long, 10.8 cm wide and 10.8 cm high.
Print 1 piece. M114..72, excavated in the north of the western coffin, bridge-shaped button, the printing surface is engraved "Xiahou Chuyin", the printing edge is 1.8 long and 1.4 cm high.
pottery
There are 10 pieces in total, and the shape of the utensils includes pots, urns and bowls.
Pot 4 pieces. Both were unearthed in the north side compartment. Extravagant mouth, round lips, handicap, straight neck, slippery shoulders, bulging abdomen gradually closed, flat inverted.
M114..51, on both sides of the shoulders, a pair of rolled croissant pattern and bridge ears. The ear surface is decorated with leaf veins, the mouth is decorated with water ripples under the mouth and the neck, and the epaulette is carved with cloud patterns around the week. Caliber 18.2, base diameter 18, height 41.2 cm.
Urn 2 pieces. Both were unearthed in the north side compartment.
M114..46, mouth, pointed round lip, oblique wide rim, neckless, round shoulders, curved abdomen tapering, flat bottom concave. On both sides of the shoulder, there is a pair of transverse "S" patterns and animal face ears. The shoulders are decorated with convex strings and carved cloud patterns for two weeks. Caliber 8.4, base diameter 17.2, height 30.4 cm.
Bowl 4 pieces. Both were excavated outside the north side of the box, with two pieces of M114..1 and 2 placed in the northwest corner of the grave, and two pieces of M114..3 and 4 placed in the northeast corner of the grave.
M114..1, 2, 4 shape system, the same size. M114..1, grey pottery, mouth, round lip, folded belly arc, flat bottom concave. Caliber 13, base diameter 4.8, height 5.6 cm.
Glassware
A total of 5 pieces, the shape of the vessel is 琀, plugged, all excavated in the south of the eastern coffin.
1 piece. M114..91, the instrument is made of cicada shape, the front is raised, the head is engraved with cicada eyes, the length is 4, the width is 2.4, and the height is 0.9 cm.
Plug 4 pieces. M114::92-1, 2, 3, 4, four pieces of shape, size is basically the same. The apparatus is cylindrical in shape, grayish-white, and the surface of the apparatus is seriously weathered. The diameter of the top surface is 0.5, the diameter of the bottom surface is 0.8, and the height is 1.5 cm.
IV. Conclusion
Although M114 has not unearthed chronological materials, combined with the data of the excavated Western Han tombs in this area, it can be judged that the M114 era is the Western Han Dynasty period according to its rectangular vertical pit burial shape system, the structure of the one-coffin double coffin burial chamber, and the shape and combination of burial items.
Among the burials of the Western Han Dynasty, the evolution of pottery is the most characteristic of the times. The glazed pottery excavated from M114 is a combination of pots and urns that were popular in the late Western Han Dynasty in this region, and the dings and boxes in the combinations of dings, boxes, pots and urns that were popular in the early and middle Western Han Dynasty in this region have not been seen. The shape of the pot and urn is basically the same as that of Tomb No. 101 (5 AD) of Xupu, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, in the same area. In addition, the ornamentation of the burial bronze mirror and lacquered wood ware is also in line with the typical characteristics of similar artifacts in the late Western Han Dynasty in this region, and it is comprehensively inferred that the burial age of the tomb is the late Western Han Dynasty.
Woodcut astrological charts are important materials for understanding astronomical archaeology and spiritual beliefs in the Western Han Dynasty, and some scholars have also carried out relevant research. As the second complete astrological map unearthed in the region, the constellation pattern, human figure, dragon and phoenix image are different from the first discovered astrological chart, which will surely provide an opportunity for further in-depth research.
In addition, the exquisite pattern and complete shape of the Qiziqi excavated from the tomb are quite valuable in the study of Han Dynasty lacquerware, and the silver elephants, camels and other ornaments inlaid on the outside of the tomb are extremely rare in the Han Dynasty lacquerware materials excavated in the past, providing important information for the study of Han Dynasty lacquerware.
(P.S. The excavators include Chen Gang, Li Zebin, Qi Jun, and Wang Huifeng; Author: Chen Gang, Zhang Chunpeng, Cheng Hao)
Editor: Zhang Yuanyuan
Reprinted from: Southeast Culture