Xi'an (Chine) : Tomb reveals life of nobles

Tomb reveals life of nobles

CNTV.CN  

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http://www.kaogu.cn/en/detail.asp?ProductID=3233

In a suburb of Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi Province, there is a tomb complex that archaeologists found in 2007 with 14 separate units. Unfortunately, the researchers were not the first to discover the site. Over time, some significant findings have come out of the site.

In 2008, excavation of the site began in earnest and researchers discovered that only one tomb out of the total 14 had remained unspoiled by looters. Thus far, Archaeologists have determined that the tombs date back to the Western Han dynasty about 2000 year ago, and that they belong to the nobleman, Zhang Shi’an, an important courtier in the Western Han Dynasty.

In April of this year, the only non-plundered tomb, called M1, was excavated. The wooden coffin in M1’s chamber had collapsed, exposing the owners remains and precious funerary objects.

Ding Yan, director of Archeological Team said: "We found some lacquers inlaid with gold and silver buttons, some small bronze wares and coins."

What surprises archaeologists is the garment covering the body in this tomb. After some cleaning, some patterns and designs can be seen on the cloth, which is very rare in a tomb over 2000 years old. Researchers believe this may be the daughter-in-law of Zhang Shi’an, but they still need further proof. Even so, they find this tomb very meaningful, because it shows the fashionable life she lead and her treatment after death.