Chinese Relics

Volume 1, Number 1, 2014 ISSN 2330-5150

Excavation of Tomb M1022 of Shengang Cemetery in Xiangyang, Hubei Volume 1, Number 1, 2014

Divination Methods in the Tsinghua Collection of Bamboo Slip Manuscripts

Micang Path

section survey in Nanjiang County, Sichuan

Song Dynasty Brick Faced Tomb

New Archaeological Findings

Excavation of the Song Dynasty brick faced tomb Xiaoli Zhang and Lianhua Zhu

Cultural Relics Protection and Archaeological Research Institute of Xi’an, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China

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eptember 2010, in collaboration with the Xi’an city municipal construction project, the former Cultural Relics Protection and Archaeology Institute conducted an excavation of an ancient tomb located about 200 m northwest of Rujiazhuang Village, Chang’an District, Xi’an (M1, figure 1).

Brick masonry facades simulating wood construction were found. Murals were also discovered. Eighteen artifacts, including pottery vessels, porcelain items and lead ornaments were unearthed. Below is a summary report of the excavation’s findings.

Structure of the Tomb M1 faces south, at 165°. The upper portion of the tomb is damaged due to dirt removal prior to the excavation, and the top of the tomb is now only .2 m below the ground surface.

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The structure of the tomb is a type known as a “vertical ramp/rectangular brick tomb”, consisting of two components: a ramp and a tomb chamber (Figure 2).

The ramp is located to the south of the tomb chamber. Its southern end is slightly narrower than its northern end, with a plane view of a trapezoid.

The walls of the ramp are straight. The ramp’s bottom floor is flat. The length of the ramp is 2.7 m, with its width 1.34 m at its southern end and 1.58 m at the northern end.

The current depth is 2.1 m. The ramp is filled with loose tessellated soil.

The plane view of the tomb chamber is a rectangular. It is constructed using large bricks with an arched ceiling, which is damaged on its top center due to road construction. Both ends of the arch are basically intact. The length

of the tomb chamber is 3.04 m and the width 1.86 m. Its walls on both sides are .8 m in height, and the overall height of the chamber is 1.74 m. A small amount of silt is found inside the tomb chamber. The bricks used to construct the tomb are the same size as those used for sealing the tomb chamber entrance. Small niches are found in the center of the northern wall and in both the north and south ends of the side walls. The four small niches on the side walls are the same size as a brick measuring 18 cm in width, 32 cm in height and 10 cm in depth. The niche on northern wall is slightly larger, width of 44 cm, height of 33 cm and depth of 17 cm.

The sealing bricks at the tomb chamber entrance are very well preserved. These bricks are vertically laid with thin sides longitudinally and placed tilted in an upside-down “V” shape to seal the tomb chamber entrance. The lower ten layers are placed in an orderly fashion while the upper two layers are relative disarray. Each layer comprises 19 to 21 bricks. The height of the entrance is 1.8 m. The size of these large bricks is 32 cm in length, 15 cm in width and 5 cm in height.

No burial container is found in the tomb.

Judging from the iron coffin nails unearthed and their locations in the tomb, the burial container might have been a single coffin, and placed in the center of the tomb. Its size cannot be determined. Three sets of human skeletons were discovered inside the tomb chamber. Two adult bodies were placed inside the coffin and one child’s body was piled haphazardly in the northeast corner of the tomb chamber. These human skeletons are poorly preserved. Only the skeleton on the east side inside the coffin location shows a clear burial position with up-facing and straight limbs and head pointing

to the north. The skeleton in the west side of the coffin location was very poorly preserved except for the skull. Other bones were scattered haphazardly and were mostly decayed into dust.

There were a total of 18 artifacts of various types unearthed in M1, in addition to three small tomb-guarding pebbles. Outside of the niche located in the southeast corner of the tomb chamber, there was a celadon vase placed upside down. A black porcelain vessel was placed inside the niche of the southwest corner of the tomb (Figure 3). A small white porcelain bowl was located inside the small niche on the northern wall. A pottery kettle was located inside the small niche on northeast corner (Figure 4). Four pottery kettles were found in the rear of the tomb chamber near a small niche on the northern wall and the small niche in the northwest corner. Seven lead flowers and three lead ornaments were unearthed to the left of the skull of the adult on the west. Three tombguarding pebbles were unearthed in the middle Figure 1 Map of tomb site location

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Song Dynasty Brick Faced Tomb

Chinese Cultural Relics » Issue No. 1, 2014

Figure 2

Murals and Brick Masonry Facades in the Tomb Chamber Both side walls of the tomb chamber of M1, as well as the lower portion of the northern wall, are brick masonry facades simulated wood construction.

The upper portion of the northern wall contains simple murals.

The brick facades of the tomb chamber simulate wood structured courtyard houses.

Both east and west sides are symmetrical, representing the side houses. The north side, higher than the rest, depicts the main house (Figure 5).

The main house is three-bays wide. The middle section of the house is much wider with double- paneled doors in its center. The doors recede inward, forming a small niche, and are slightly ajar.

There is a door frame outside with doorsills and door piers at the bottom. The panel doors

Figure 3

Figure 4

The small niche at the southwest corner of M1

The small niche at the northeast corner of M1.

Plane view of M1

of the west side of the tomb chamber.

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Figure 6 Murals on the northern wall of M1.

are painted with lattice patterns and decorative “nipples” in white (Figure 7). Latticed windows appear on each side of the doors.

In the center of the window panes are lattice patterns consisting of conjoined six-leafed flowers. Inside the decorative gate, reminiscent of Sumeru throne frames, on the panel below the window are four-leafed intertwining grass patterns. On the window panes of both of the outer rooms are turtoise shell lattice flowers consisting of conjoined three-leafed flowers.

Inside the decorative gate on the panels below the windows are six-leafed intertwining grass patterns (Figure 8). Just above the double doors are three double-level Dougong brackets under the eave tiebeams. Two are pillar-top Dougong brackets and one is an in-between

Dougong bracket. Each consists of a lower cap block, a flower arm, a cap block, an arm and noses (Figure 9). These Dougong brackets support the architraves. On top of the architraves are cornice purlins. Square eave rafters and round flying rafters are placed on top of cornice purlins. Tiles are placed on the round flying rafters.

Both the east and west side houses are fivebays wide. The middle section is wider, with double-latticed doors in the center. Inside the panes are ancient coin-shaped lattice flower patterns consisting of conjoined four-leafed flowers. The lower door panels contain the decorative gates. The doors on the east wall are slightly ajar, while the doors on the west wall are fully closed. On both sides of the doors are latticed windows. The tracery of these latticed windows consists of double-rib crossing fourpetal lattice patterns. The lower panels of the

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Song Dynasty Brick Faced Tomb

Chinese Cultural Relics Âť Issue No. 1, 2014

Figure 7 Double panel doors of the main house.

Figure 8 Latticed windows of the main house.

Figure 9 Figure 9. Brick facade of a support structure on the northern wall of the tomb chamber.

windows contain the decorative gates, which differ from those on the panel doors in shape and style. The latticed windows of the two outer rooms include ancient coin patterns. The decorative gates on the lower panel of the windows are the same as those on the panel doors in shape and style. Each outermost rooms has a brick-structured niche, and the size of the small niche is equivalent to the height and width of a brick. There is a layer of flat bricks on top of the brick masonry facades simulating the tiebeams. There are five single-level Dougong brackets underneath the tiebeams.

There is an architrave resting on top of each Dougong bracket. All of these are pillar-top Dougong brackets except the one in-between Dougong bracket in the center. Underneath the Dougong brackets and between the pillars are architraves supported below by the square pillars with rounded corners.

Murals are located on the upper portion of the northern wall, above the eaves. A red brick color served as a background color and the murals are painted with white paint directly on the brick. Themes of the mural are quite simple. The central lower section displays a gray plate full of offerings. White flowers with twisted branches are painted on both sides.

More lateral are two servants facing each other while bowing their heads. All the major simulated wood structure components are

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Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Figure 15

Celadon vase (M1:1).

Black porcelain vase (M1:2).

White porcelain bowl (M1:4).

Pottery kettle (M1:8).

Lead flowers (M1:9).

Lead ornaments (M1:10).

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Song Dynasty Brick Faced Tomb

Chinese Cultural Relics Âť Issue No. 1, 2014

Figure 16 Pottery and Porcelain Artifacts.

1. Celadon vase (M1:1) 2. Pottery kettle (M1:8) 3. White porcelain bowl (M1:4) 4. Black porcelain vessel; (M1:2) (Scale: 1:4)

decorated with white S-shape flowers with twisted branches. The lines of these painted flowers are smooth and well-defined, although faded (Figure 6).

Artifacts Unearthed There are a total of 18 artifacts unearthed in M1, including three porcelain items, five pottery vessels, 10 lead ornaments, plus three tomb-guarding pebbles.

One celadon vase (M1:1) was unearthed. The body is a greenish-gray color.

There is some impurity in the clay. The vase has a straight opening with a downturned

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rounded lip, a short narrow neck, and a round foot turned slightly outward. The surface of the vase is glazed with green enamel and carved with peony flowers except that the original body is exposed at the bottom of the round foot. The diameter of the vase opening is 5 cm, body 11.6 cm, round foot 6.8 cm, and height 21.4 cm (Figure 10, 16:1).

One black porcelain vessel (M1:2) was unearthed. Its body is a tawny color with significant impurity consisting of coarse particles. The vase has an expanding opening with a downturned rounded lip, a short narrow neck, outward projected shoulder, and rounded foot turning slightly outward.

The surface shows a black glaze that does not cover the entire lower portion leaving rounded foot completely unglazed. The diameter of the vase opening is 4.9 cm, body 11.4 cm, round foot 6.8 cm, and height 19.5

cm (Figure 11, 16:4).

One white porcelain bowl (M1:4) was unearthed. Its body was white, relatively fine and pure. The bowl has an expanding opening with a sharp round lip, tilted straight belly with small short round foot.

It has a white glaze on both its inside and outside, although the outside glaze does not completely cover the bottom. The overglazed areas show a light green color. The diameter of the bowl opening is 12.8 cm, round foot 3.5, and height 4.2 cm (Figure 12, 16:3).

Five pottery kettles were unearthed.

Their shapes and styles are essentially the same. The bodies above and below the eaves appear to have been made separately with pottery wheels and subsequently joined together. The kettles have receding openings with rounded lips, narrow shoulder eaves, drum bellies, and flat bottoms. The diameter of item M1:8 is 12.2 cm, shoulder eave 16 cm, bottom 6 cm, and height 9.3 cm (Figure 13, 16:2).

Seven lead flowers were unearthed. Their surfaces are a lead white color. Their shapes resemble those of thumbnail tops. Two of the lead flowers are intact and the rest are damaged. Items 1 to 5 are the same shape and style and items 6 to 7 are the same shape and style (Figure 14). Item M1: 9-1: The round top of this artifact is raised in the middle and its edge forms a six-petal sunflower shape. Its diameter is 2.4 cm (Figure 17:3).

Item M1:9-6: The round top of this item is also raised in the middle and its edge forms a hexagon Ryoka shape. Its diameter is 2.3 cm (Figure 17:4).

Three lead ornaments were unearthed.

Their surfaces are a lead white color. One of the

items is intact and two others are damaged. The intact item is in the shape of a long, thin leaf with the upper part wider and the lower part narrower. It has a handle and sharp points projecting upwards from the center of the top and sides respectively. The front surface has molded decorative patterns, and the back side is plain.

Items 1 and 2 have the same decorative patterns (Figure 5). Item M1: 10-1: The front surface has two molded anthocephalus flowers. Its length is 5.2 cm, width 1.5 to 2.1 cm, thickness .15 cm (Figure 17:1). Item M1:10-3: The front surface has two vertical lines dividing the piece into three panels, with each panel molded with leaf vein patterns. Its length is 4.1 cm, width 1.3 to 1.9 cm, and thickness .17 cm (Figure 17:2).

Three tomb-guarding small pebbles were unearthed. These white pebbles are roughsurfaced with black and gray speckles. Two are intact and one is broken in two. All three are in an irregular egg shape. Item M1: 11-1: The pebble has cinnabar paint on its surface.

Its diameter is 2.6 to 4.1 cm. Item M1: 11-2: The diameter of this pebble is 2.5 to 3.6 cm.

Item M1:11-3: The diameter of this pebble is 3.4 to 3.9 cm.

Conclusion M1 is a small vertical ramp/rectangular single chamber brick tomb, rectangular shape and an arched ceiling. Brick masonry facades simulating wood construction with murals were found inside the tomb chamber.

According to the excavations, these types of tombs became popular in the northern region of China during the late years of Dazhong of the Tang Dynasty. Their popularity peaked during the late Jin Dynasty (Qin 2004). The murals in M1 are fairly simple. The themes of the brick masonry facades

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