No. 1 Carriage pit
Bronze Ding (Warring States)
Torizun (Sengoku)
Boshan Furnace (Han Dynasty)
Hebei News Network News (Hebei Daily reporter Shi Xiaoduo, Gong Zhenglong) On December 24, 2021, Hebei Province selected the annual "Six New Archaeological Discoveries" for the first time, of which the selection of the North Cemetery of Houbaijia Village in Handan was very eye-catching. The reporter learned that this is the second archaeological excavation of the Baijia Village cemetery after more than half a century. This cemetery basically reflects the rise and fall of Handan City from the Warring States to the Sui and Tang Dynasties.
In January 2021, the Hebei Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology and the Handan Institute of Cultural Relics Protection formed an archaeological team to carry out rescue excavations in two phases of the north cemetery of Houbaijia Village in Handan, and by December 2021, a total of 465 tombs (including 2 chema pits) and more than 2,400 cultural relics were excavated. Archaeological findings show that the northern necropolis of Houbaijia Village mainly includes tombs from the Warring States, the Two Han Dynasties to Cao Wei, the Sui and Tang Dynasties, and the Ming and Qing dynasties.
The Houbaijiacun North Cemetery is part of the Baijiacun Cemetery, where archaeological excavations began in the 1950s. At present, more than 200 Warring States tombs have been found in the north cemetery of Houbaijia Village, mainly small and medium-sized tombs, all of which are vertical pit tombs; 178 tombs in the two Han Dynasties, the era spans the two Han Dynasties, the lower limit can be as far as the Cao Wei and even the Western Jin Dynasty, the tomb system is diverse, there are two types of earth pit tombs and masonry tombs; more than 30 tombs have been found in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, most of which are oval earth pit tombs with tombs, filling the shortcomings of the previous Tang tombs found in the Handan area, which is of great significance for the study of the development of Handan City in the Tang Dynasty. In addition, tombs from the Ming and Qing dynasties have also been found, with remains such as wells and pottery kilns.
Among the more than 2,400 cultural relics unearthed in 2021, the tombs of the Warring States period are rich in burial items. The combination of copper ceremonial vessels mainly includes ding, bean, pot, plate, za, high-handled bean, ball belly pot, bird pillar plate, barrel vessel and so on. The pottery is mainly plain, with a few dark patterns and some painted. Practical utensils include pots, bowls, pots, etc., and some tombs have unearthed painted bird figures with vivid shapes and bright paintings. Bronze ware includes copper ding, copper basin, copper bridge decoration, copper bell, copper sword, copper belt hook, copper carriage and horse ware and so on. Jade tools include crystal rings, agate rings, jade coverings, stone gui and so on. Iron tools are mainly iron belt hooks.
The cultural relics of the Two Han Dynasties are mainly buried pottery, and some pottery has decorations such as painting and glazing, among which the pottery stove, pottery well and other patterns are elaborate and very exquisite. Bronze ware mainly includes copper furnaces, copper basins, copper belt hooks, copper mirrors, copper coins, etc., of which copper mirrors have a large number of excavations, mostly daylight mirrors. Iron tools include iron swords, iron ring first knives, iron belt hooks, etc. Stone tools mainly include stone lamps, jade pieces and so on. In the tombs of the Tang Dynasty, the excavated relics are clay pots, white glazed bowls, white glazed pots, copper mirrors, copper hairpins, copper hairpins, copper weed belts, and bone chestnuts.
The excavation of the Houbaijiacun North Cemetery is the largest archaeological work in recent years in the Zhao capital Handan, and the cemetery basically reflects the rise and fall of Handan City from the Warring States to the Sui and Tang Dynasties. "The discovery of this cemetery has laid a foundation for the study of the history and culture, social development, and funerary customs of the Warring and Han Dynasties in the region, and has also provided valuable experience for the development of archaeology in Handan City." Zhang Peng, executive leader of the Houbaijia Village North Cemetery Project, said.
The pictures in this article are provided by the Hebei Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology
Source: Hebei News Network