China News Service, Taiyuan, November 23 (Reporter Hu Jian) The Shanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology released new archaeological discoveries on the 23rd. Archaeologists discovered a group of ancient tombs from the Eastern Zhou and Jin Dynasties outside the ancient city walls of Pingyao. Older underground cultural relics excavated near Pingyao Ancient City remain.
In order to cooperate with the construction of the Pingyao County Exhibition and Performing Arts Center project, with the approval of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage of China, from October to early November 2020, the provincial, municipal and county-level cultural relics departments will conduct archaeological excavations of ancient tombs discovered within the construction project area.
Unearthed artifacts from M6 tombs in Eastern Zhou Dynasty.
Photo courtesy of Shanxi Archaeological Research Institute
The tombs of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty were destroyed, and only the bottom of the tomb was left, which was a rectangular vertical hole earth pit tomb.
There are a total of 10 artifacts (groups) unearthed from the tomb, including Sanhuang Lianbi, Jade Ornaments, Shigui, Tao Ding, etc. According to the tomb shape and unearthed artifacts, it is judged to be an early Warring States tomb.
The tomb of the Jin Dynasty is an imitation wooden brick chamber tomb, which is composed of tomb passage, tomb gate, corridor and tomb chamber.
The tomb is a joint burial tomb for the relocated couple, burying a man and a woman.
A total of 7 artifacts were unearthed, including small porcelain bowls, pottery cows, and large pots.
The ancient city of Pingyao is currently the most complete existing ancient Chinese county. The main body of the existing ancient city wall was rebuilt and expanded on the foundation of the old wall in the third year of Hongwu in the early Ming Dynasty (1370).
According to the literature, the establishment of Pingyao County began in Qinpingtao County and Hanzhongdu County.
The layout of M6 tomb of Eastern Zhou Dynasty and M1 of Jin Dynasty tomb.
Photo courtesy of Shanxi Archaeological Research Institute
According to local archaeologists, the excavated group of earth pit tombs of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty and the brick chamber tombs of the Jin Dynasty are only 800 meters away from the east wall of the ancient city of Pingyao. They are the relics of the earlier underground cultural relics excavated near the ancient city of Pingyao. This provides an important basis for empirical evidence of Pingyao’s over 2000 years of organizational history.
At present, Pingyao County officials have put forward the idea of in-situ protection for the tomb, combined with the upcoming county-level museum construction plan, to make permanent use of it.
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