China News Service, Xi'an, August 9 (Reporter Alina) The reporter learned from the Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology on the 9th that archaeologists found 11 paving tiles with inscriptions in a cemetery of early Eastern Han Dynasty families in Xi'an. Inscribed with chronology and dragon patterns.

  From March to May 2019, in order to cooperate with the construction project of Zhongyuan International Auto Parts Port, the Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology conducted rescue excavations on the 6 Eastern Han brick multi-chamber tombs found on the project site.

It provides new material data for the study of funeral systems such as tomb construction, family burials and burial utensils in the Eastern Han Dynasty.

  According to preliminary judgment on the shape of the tombs, the combination of model objects and pottery animals, and the characteristics of the burial objects, these 6 tombs belong to the family burial cemeteries in the early and middle Eastern Han Dynasty. remainder group.

  According to experts, the most important discovery of this excavation is that there are 11 inscribed floor tiles in the M6 ​​side room. The inscription on the back of the brick is rare in the excavation of Han tombs, which is of great significance for the study of the burial system and burial customs of the Eastern Han tombs.

South side room brick inscription.

Photo courtesy of Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology

  The contents of the inscriptions include "the third year of Yongyuan", "the fourth year of Yongyuan", "Longmen Yique", "...things don't happen...the people will be exterminated...the benefit of the long...not...pro", "below the prince...scattered and destroyed." Officials... bones... this place is guarded by the sky... shift", "brother", "but not forward..." "Ling Cun Xie Di Shou Ling Cun Xue Di Zun Cun Xue", "Big... Big", "Dou Er Li and a Half" and Dragon pattern and other patterns, fonts Li, Xing, and cursive.

  Experts said that in the Han Dynasty, the dragon pattern was mostly related to the concept of ascension to heaven, and some also had the effect of suppressing tombs and warding off evil spirits.

Therefore, in the tombs of the Han Dynasty, whether on the tomb walls or in the funerary utensils, there are often decorations or utensils related to the dragon.

  The image of the dragon pattern discovered this time is like a soaring and hunting shape. The body is in the shape of a slender and curved snake, and the mouth is wide open.

However, because there is no image of the immortal official or the tomb owner in the single image, the meaning of being promoted to immortal is unclear, and because the inscribed bricks are engraved on the back, they are laid on the bottom of the tomb chamber. Combined with the content of the inscriptions, the meaning of warding off evil spirits is even more important.

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