An Excavation Report on Gaochang Cemetery

(Abstract)

The "South -to- North Water Diversion Project" is another

large -scale hydraulic engineering work following the "Three

Gorgeous Projects" , and also another startling move of Chinese

government. The archaeological work, which coordinates with this

project, has become an urgent and arduous task for the three

provinces and one city along the line.

In the summer of 2002, from the end of 2003 to the beginning

of 2004, and during the autumn season of the same year, Hebei

Province -acting in concert with the water project -successively

launched three archaeological investigation, exploration and

primary excavation work, eventually fixing on 114 sites with

abundant remaining relics. On the basis of importance and

preservation conditions, all these sites were classified into "A,

B, C, D" four levels as requested, among which Gaochang cemetery

was designated as Level B.

Lasting from May 11, 2005 to September 30, the exploration

and excavation work at Gaochang cemetery was completed to explore

an area of 5000 square metres, 131 tombs. Among all these tombs,

there are 7 earthen - shafts of the Warring States Period, 92

earthen - shafts of the Western Han Dynasty, 20 brick - chambered

tombs of the Western and Eastern Han Dynasties, 6 were from the

Northern Dynasties to the Sui Dynasty, one from the Song Dynasty,

one earthen - shaft of the Qing Dynasty, and four unknown tombs,

unearthing more than 700 sets of numbered funeral objects such as

pottery, copper, iron, agate , porcelain, bone, glass, paint,etc.

All the relevant information of the 131 excavated tomb are covered

by this report.

The report consists of three parts: Part I is an overview;

Part 11 is the tombs' information;Part m is a preliminary study.

The first part is divided into three chapters, each depicting the

general situation of the cemetery and the working methods,

profiles, contents as well as the collation and compilation of

materials, etc. Part 11 starts with the tombs' era as a

framework, then recounts them one by one in the order from small

to big serial numbers. Each tomb, whether robbed or not, relies on

raw material as its basis, then goes through indoor collation of

materials and restoration and checking of objects, and then

respectively depicted according to each tomb' s position, time of

excavation, status quo of its preservation, filling' s color and

composition,the tomb' s structure, the positions of coffins,

bones, burial objects and the features of every burial object.

Generally, each tomb has an attached profile, some of them also

has photos. Burial objects has attached outline drawings based on

the tombs, the better and more intact one is the choice from the

same items.

Part III of preliminary study involves seven chapters:

cemetery overview; tombs' structure and the combination of burial

objects; burial objects, decorative pottery of the Warring States

Period and the Han Dynasty ; co - burial of different graves among

the earthen - shafts of the Westeru Han Dynasty ; the transition

from earthen - shafts to brick - chambered tombs ; the tombs' era

and the owner' s speculation.

"Cemetery overview" summarizes how the tombs of different

periods surround a rock mound,meanwhile generalizes the main

burial customs. In the order of time periods, the chapter of

"tombs' structure and the combination of burial objects" concludes

the characteristics of tombs'struture, respectively from the

filling, tombs' direction and size, tombs' furniture, skeleton,

the combination of burial objects, etc. The conclusion, which is

about the features of 92 earthen - shafts of the Western Han

Dynasty, is particularly detailed. It divides the pottery of the

burial objects into 7 combinations, among which the gallipots or

the daily combination of gallipots and pottery bowls are the most

common. The chapter of "burial objects" - also in the order of

time - generalizes the burial objects of all periods, roughly

describing according to such classifications as pottery, copper,

iron, pewter, jade, glass, bone, lacquer, etc. The 7 tombs of the

Warring States Period and the 112 of the Western and Eastern Han

Dynasties vary greatly on the number and variety of burial

objects, as a result, independent forms of narrations are adopted.

The pottery is divided for their types and forms based on the

traditional method, each one is marked with the unearthed number

as well as the general characteristic of its type and form,

moreover, each form is marked with the number of tombs containing

such items, and descriptive examples are also provided.

Chapter four of "decorative pottery of the Warring States

Period and the Han Dynasty" summarizes how the items were molded

and the main shapes of their various parts as well as the main

decoration methods and ornamental patterns. Furthermore, this

chapter also provides description along with drawings of rubbings

for the main patterns, such as whirling mark (旋纹), cord mark,

chequer, impressed complex of looped cord (绳圈印纹), nail

pattern, dancette and the combination of whirling mark (旋纹),

fret pattern, cord mark; the combination of whirling mark (旋纹),

chequer, cord mark; the combination of whirling mark (旋纹), cord

mark,short - string pattern, the combination of whirling mark (旋

纹), cord mark, impressed complex of looped cord (绳圈印纹). The "

impressed complex of looped cord (绳圈印纹) " and its combination

are rare patterns, which not only can decorate but also locate the

'" ear" and the handle of an item. It' s one of the unique

patterns that prevailed in certain areas during the Han Dynasty.

The chapter - " co - burial of different graves among the

earthen - shafts of the Western Hart Dynasty" - cites the 34

tombs of Western Han Dynasty of Gaochang cemetery as concrete

demonstrations, every two tombs make up a group and are side by

side, which clarifies the prevalent "husband and wife buried

together" during the earthen - shafts period. This chapter also

expounds that the idea of " male superiority" almost dominated the

whole class society of China, the idea is also reflected in the

burial position of men and women due to their different social

status." Right is superior, left is inferior" - such idea was

widespread, especially in the Warring States Period and the Han

Dynasty, in line with this idea, the social reality of "male left,

female right"when burying has come into being in most of the

areas.

Another significant accomplishment of the excavation in

Gaochang Cemetery is the transition from earthen -shafts to brick

-chambered tombs, by analyzing several tombs of special styles of

this particular period such as brick - framed tombs and also brick

- framed ones with flat tops, for the first time, however, this

article has clearly claimed that such styles were of popularity in

certain areas during the transition period from earthen - shafts

to brick - chambered tombs. They still maintained the structure

of wooden coffin of the earthen - shafts period, at the same time

adopted brick frames and flat tops, even without evident tomb

doors and passage ways, they are much more primitive than brick-

spanned tops and domed tops of mature periods.

The last chapter involves the tombs' era and the owner' s

speculation, by making contrasts between tombs of major periods

and recently - published materials on the same period, then

leading to inference about the tombs' relative times, with

particularly detailed classification on the most tombs of Han

Dynasty according to different time periods. Based on the above -

mentioned analysis about the structure of tombs and conclusions

about the combination of burial objects as well as their types and

forms, meanwhile taking the unearthed coins into consideration,

this chapter divides the tombs of Han Dynasty into five periods:

the early Western Han Dynasty, the mid-Western Han Dynasty, the

late Western Han Dynasty, the end of Western Han Dynasty to the

early Eastern Han Dynasty, the middle and late Eastern Han

Dynasty.