China News Service, Xi'an, December 9th (Reporter Alina) The reporter learned from the Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology on the 9th that archaeologists unearthed China's earliest gold and bronze Buddha statues at the Chengren Cemetery in Xianyang. The two gold and bronze Buddha statues are relics of the late Eastern Han Dynasty. , Has important research value for the introduction and sinicization of Buddhist culture.
Orthophoto of the Eastern Han Family Tomb at Chengren Cemetery.
Photo courtesy of Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology
In May 2021, the Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology excavated an Eastern Han family cemetery in the southeast of Chengren Village, Xianyang City.
The six tombs in the family cemetery are similar in shape and scale. They are located west to east, and are arranged side by side in the north and south, with a distance of 15 to 20 meters. They are all slope tombs and cave tombs.
The burial objects in this batch of Eastern Han tombs are mainly pottery and glazed pottery. There are also a small amount of bronze and lead horse gear. The burial objects have typical characteristics of the late Eastern Han Dynasty.
A standing statue of Sakyamuni unearthed from Chengren's cemetery.
Photo courtesy of Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology
Two gold and bronze Buddha statues were found in the northwest corner of the main chamber of a tomb.
One of them is a standing statue of Sakyamuni. It has a small flesh bun with a flat top. It wears a shoulder-length robes. The pattern of the clothes is radially distributed from the left shoulder to the right shoulder. The ripples of the clothes are between the right chest and the right arm.
Raise the left elbow and hold a corner of the cassock; raise the Wuweiyin (hands disabled) on the right hand.
Stand on the covered rosette.
The height is 10.5 cm, and the base diameter is 4.7 cm.
The standing statue of Sakyamuni unearthed from Chengren Cemetery (rear side).
Photo courtesy of Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology
The other is a piece of five Buddha statues, with a height of 15.8 cm and a width of 6.4 cm. The five Buddhas are embossed on the front, with small fleshy buns and knots sitting on a lotus seat with meditation on both hands.
Five gold and bronze Buddha statues unearthed from the cemetery of Chengren.
Photo courtesy of Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology
According to reports, the bun, face, dress style, and pattern of the Buddha statues all have the typical style of Gandhara statues.
The preliminary results of the material analysis show that the two Buddha statues are made of copper-tin-lead alloy and the production process is fan casting.
In another tomb, the inscription on the Zhushu pottery pot was unearthed on "November 24th of the first year of Yanxi" (158 years), which can be used as a ruler for the underground burial time of this family tomb.
The owner of the cemetery should be a mid-level official or landlord from Han'anling County or Chang'an County in the Eastern Han Dynasty, with certain family power or economic strength.
The unearthed Zhushu pottery in the first year of Yanxi.
Photo courtesy of Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology
According to experts, it was less than a hundred years since Buddhism was introduced to China in the first year of Yanxi. It was generally believed that Buddhist image elements had appeared in southwest and southeast China during this period, but they were all attached to cash cows, soul bottles, buildings, etc. The decorative patterns and parts of the temple, and independent Buddha statues that reflect the significance of religious beliefs did not appear until the period of the Sixteen Kingdoms.
Experts have determined that the two Buddha statues unearthed from Chengren's cemetery are the earliest gold and bronze Buddha statues unearthed in Chinese archaeology.
According to the preliminary results of the modeling characteristics of the Buddha statue, the analysis of the production process and the metal composition test, it can be determined that it is a gold and bronze Buddha statue with the style of Gandhara made locally.
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