"There has never been a precedent in the history of Chinese archaeology for excavating such a large number of tombs and lasting so long in the same cemetery, and it is difficult to break through in the future." Li Ming, a researcher at the Shaanxi Archaeological Research Institute, introduced that since 2020, the Shaanxi Archaeological Research Institute has excavated 3648 ancient tombs from the Warring States to the Ming and Qing dynasties in Dizhang Street and Beidu Street in Weicheng District, Xianyang City, with a tomb era from the Warring States to the Qing Dynasty, with a time span of more than 2,200 years and more than 16,000 cultural relics (groups). The excavation site is located in the "Hongduyuan" cemetery north of the Han and Tang Dynasties Chang'an City, which is the highest-ranking cemetery in this period except for the burial of the imperial tomb, and most of the buried tomb owners are relatives of the emperor and state, high-ranking officials and dignitaries, and are found in historical records.
The original tomb of Hong Duyuan was excavated into the Ren cemetery m3001 Tang Dynasty tomb
Some experts said that the large-scale exposure and meticulous cleaning of the family cemeteries from the Eastern Han Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty in Hongdu found the complete development trajectory of the Sui and Tang family cemeteries in the Northern Dynasty, so that the Weigou Zhaoyu of the Sui and Tang high-level tombs of the Northern Dynasty first formed a sequence, which reflected the hierarchical concept and ideology of the people at that time, as well as the deep social background.
Medium and large tombs and chronological tombs account for a large proportion
Archaeological excavations in Hongduyuan began in the 1950s, when archaeologists discovered a number of high-grade tombs from the Northern Zhou, Sui and Tang dynasties during two excavations at the Construction Site of Xianyang Airport. From 1999 to 2000, when Xianyang Airport was first expanded, the tomb of Yuwen Tong, duke of The Northern Zhou Dynasty, and wu Liuhun Xianyu, wife of the Northern Zhou And Ji state, were discovered. From 2008 to 2011, when the second phase of Xianyang Airport was expanded, archaeology excavated a number of Northern Dynasty Sui and Tang tombs with Weigou Zhaoyu, such as the tomb of Sui Lushan and his wife Liu Shi, the tomb of Sui Yuanwei and his wife, and the tomb of Tang Ma Duwei.
Tang Kang Shanda Tomb Road West Wall Mural Hu Ren Taming Horse Figure
From June 2020 to November 2021, in the 17 months of excavations, medium and large tombs accounted for a large proportion, the number of annual tombs was large, and the excavated cultural relics were rich. A total of 1 late Warring States tomb (queen mausoleum) and its funerary cemetery were found, 1 early Western Han dynasty cemetery, 12 Eastern Han family cemeteries, 3 Western Jin family cemeteries, 3 sixteen national ethnic cemeteries, 1 public cemetery from the Sixteen Kingdoms to the Sui Dynasty, 77 Sui and Tang tombs of the Northern Dynasty and a large number of Song, Ming and Qing civilian tombs, and more than 16,000 cultural relics (groups) were excavated, and a series of important archaeological harvests were made.
Excavations are still ongoing. Li Ming said: "If the Hongduyuan tomb as a whole is included in the ancient tomb development system of the 2200-year historical period, then it is actually a 'centralized cemetery', which concentrates the tombs of the residents of Qin Xianyang City, The Western Han Dynasty to the Northern Zhou Chang'an City, the Sui and Tang Dynasties Chang'an City, the Xianyang City after the Song Dynasty and its surrounding counties." "Combined with the Northern Zhou Dou Luen Family Cemetery, sui Wang Shao Family Cemetery, Tang Sutong Family Cemetery and other Northern Dynasty Sui and Tang Dynasty Sui and Tang Dynasty Sui family cemeteries found in Hongduyuan in recent years, a complete development sequence and type characteristics of family cemeteries in the Middle Ages can be formed, providing a new perspective for the study of the Sui and Tang tomb systems in the Northern Dynasty, and is of great value for promoting the in-depth study of archaeology and history in this period."
The original tomb of Hongdu was excavated from the kiln cemetery warring states Qin tomb
The cemetery planning of the "Weigou Zhaoyu" appeared in the Sui and Tang dynasties
There are many tombs of family members inside and outside the cemetery, and there are many types. Xianyang Hongduyuan was popular in the Warring States and Western Han Dynasties "centralized cemetery", that is, residents were buried in a large cemetery, and individual tombs had a small weigou zhao domain, which did not reflect family consciousness. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, western Jin Dynasty and Sixteen Kingdoms period, it was popular to distribute family cemeteries in rows, that is, family members were regularly buried in a family cemetery in units of family tombs, without a walled ditch and a trillion domain, and separated by regional space.
There are 65 tombs densely distributed in the cemeteries of the Sixteen Kingdoms to the Sui Dynasty, although there is no centralized planning, but there is no broken relationship. At present, 77 Sui and Tang tombs of the Northern Dynasty have been found, of which 23 are dating, showing the important position of Weigou Zhaoyu and family cemeteries in high-level tombs in the Sui and Tang dynasties. These cemeteries, characterized by the Weigou Zhaoyu, are neatly planned and do not affect each other, from single tombs, couple burials or couples with different caves to children and fathers, until the grandchildren are buried in the ancestral tombs, and the use of the cemetery even spans historical dynasties and continues for hundreds of years. This continuation and change in the funeral system embodies the expectations of the ancients to unite family forces in the underground world and continue to the real world, is the materialized embodiment of the concept of the medieval door valve, and is also the continuation of a series of traditional Chinese cultural concepts such as filial piety, local thought, and legal system.
Hongduyuan Tomb Buried Buri Cemetery m49 Western Jin Dynasty tomb excavated celadon lion-shaped ware
According to the staff of the Shaanxi Provincial Archaeological Research Institute, "Limited by the conditions, in the past archaeological excavations of Sui and Tang tombs, the complete data of weigou Zhaoyu and ground remains was not rich, and the understanding of the hierarchy of 'tomb fields' and sealing soil formed by Weigou Zhaoyu was still at the level of literature, and the research on the Sui and Tang family cemeteries in the Northern Dynasty was basically blank." In this archaeological excavation, we focused on the distribution of the ditch and the sealing soil, and found that at least in the Hongduyuan, sui and Tang high-grade tombs generally set up the weigou Zhaoyu and rammed the sealing soil, which was found in 1 to 7 tombs in the weigou. ”
The shape of the tomb is clear, and the identity of the tomb owner is prominent
Due to its location in Gyeonggi, the status of the tomb owner is generally high and representative, such as the tomb of the Northern Zhou Kaifu Yitong General and the Gongyu Wenyun tomb of Wen'an County. The Hongduyuan tomb is an excellent specimen for studying the tomb system of the ancient era, and is of great significance for the construction of the archaeological system framework of ancient Chinese tombs.
Sui Xiu Northern Zhou Liang Tugao Tomb, Liang Tugao is the Northern Zhou Shi Prefecture Assassin History, The Founding Duke of Central County. Tang Ren Right Guard Yi Erfu Zhonglang buried the Dugu Keshi here, and his great-grandfather Du Guxin, grandfather Du Guluo, and grandmother He Ruo Turk were all buried in Hongduyuan, and these tombs have now been excavated. Dou Xiaochen, grandson of Dou Xiaochen the Duke of Fengguo, son of Dou Xihuan of the Duke of Biguo, and cousin of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, was also buried here. In Hongduyuan, there are many examples of mutual kinship, burial of ancestors, and the excavation of tombs of generations of people.
Hongduyuan tomb Xijiang cemetery m4002 Tang tomb excavated Hu Renle figurines
Another figure related to the historical event "Xuanwumen Change" Zhang Qianwei, whose family cemetery was also found here. In addition, there is Wu Zetian's maternal grandfather, the Yang family, who was buried in Hongduyuan from Yang Shao, the Duke of Northern Zhou, and the descendants of the Sui and Tang Dynasties were buried, and each planned a cemetery, forming a huge Hongduyuan Yang family cemetery, which lasted for hundreds of years.
Relevant experts from the Shaanxi Archaeological Research Institute said: "In this archaeological excavation, the husband and wife are buried in the same cave, the husband and wife are buried in different caves, the father and son are buried together, the grandchildren are buried together, and the families of several generations are buried together, which is the pattern distribution system of Sui and Tang family tombs or family tombs that the archaeological community did not grasp at all before this excavation." ”
HongDuyuan tomb Xijiang cemetery m4047 Sixteen Kingdoms tomb unearthed maid figurines
The rich information obtained from this excavation, coupled with the comprehensive research results of the archaeological data of the Hongduyuan tomb over the years, combined with the documentary records passed down from generation to generation, will help to elucidate the historical value, cultural value, aesthetic value, scientific and technological value and era value of cultural relics.
(Photo courtesy of Shaanxi Institute of Archaeology)
Editor-in-charge: Yang Xiaojun