I

SUMMARY REPORT OF THE EXCAVATION OF THE SONG DYNASTY BRICK FACED TOMB

AT RUJIAZHUANG VILLAGE IN XI’AN

Xiaoli Zhang and Lianhua Zhu

n September 2010, in collaboration with the Xi’an city municipal construction project, the former Cultural Relics Protection and

Archaeology Institute conducted an excavation of an ancient tomb located about 200 m northwest of Rujiazhuang Village, Chang’an District, Xi’an (ID#: M1) (Figure 1). Brick masonry facades simulating wood construction were found. Murals were also discovered. Eighteen artifacts, including pottery vessels, porcelain items and lead ornaments were unearthed. Below is a summary report of the excavation’s findings:

I. Structure of the Tomb

M1 faces south, at 165o. The upper portion

Figure 1. Map of tomb site location

of the tomb is damaged due to dirt removal prior to the excavation, and the top of the tomb is now only .2 m below the ground surface. The structure of the tomb is a type known as a “vertical ramp/rectangular brick tomb”, consisting of two components: a ramp and a tomb chamber (Figure 2).

The ramp is located to the south of the tomb chamber. Its southern end is slightly narrower than its northern end, with a plane view of a trapezoid. The walls of the ramp are straight. The ramp’s bottom floor is flat. The length of the ramp is 2.7 m, with its width 1.34 m at its southern end and 1.58 m at the northern end. The current depth is 2.1 m. The ramp is filled with loose tessellated soil.

The plane view of the tomb chamber is a rectangular. It is constructed using large bricks with an arched ceiling, which is damaged on its top center due to road construction. Both ends of the arch are basically intact. The length of the tomb chamber is 3.04 m and the width 1.86 m. Its walls on both sides are .8 m in height, and the overall height of the chamber is 1.74 m. A small amount of silt is found inside the tomb chamber. The bricks used to construct the tomb are the same size as those used for sealing the tomb chamber entrance. Small niches are found in the center of the northern wall and in both the north and south ends of the side walls. The four small niches on the side walls are the same size as a brick measuring 18 cm in width, 32 cm in height and 10 cm in depth. The niche on northern wall is slightly larger, width of 44 cm, height of 33 cm and depth of 17 cm.

Xiaoli Zhang and Lianhua Zhu Cultural Relics Protection and Archaeological Research Institute

of Xi’an, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China

Translated by Garry Guan, A-A Language Services; Copyright 2013 East View Press.

Figure 2. Plane view of M1

The sealing bricks at the tomb chamber entrance are very well preserved. These bricks are vertically laid with thin sides longitudinally and placed tilted in an upside-down “V” shape to seal the tomb chamber entrance. The lower ten layers are placed in an orderly fashion while the upper two layers are relative disarray. Each layer comprises 19 to 21 bricks. The height of the entrance is 1.8 m. The size of these large bricks is 32 cm in length, 15 cm in width and 5 cm in height.

No burial container is found in the tomb. Judging from the iron coffin nails unearthed and their locations in the tomb, the burial container might have been a single coffin, and placed in the center of the tomb. Its size cannot be determined. Three sets of human skeletons were discovered inside the tomb chamber. Two adult bodies were placed inside the coffin and one child’s body was piled haphazardly in the northeast corner of the tomb chamber. These human skeletons are poorly preserved. Only the skeleton on the east side inside the coffin location shows a clear burial position with up-facing and straight

Figure 3. The small niche at the southwest corner of M1.

limbs and head pointing to the north. The skeleton in the west side of the coffin location was very poorly preserved except for the skull. Other bones were scattered haphazardly and were mostly decayed into dust.

There were a total of 18 artifacts of various types unearthed in M1, in addition to three small tomb-guarding pebbles. Outside of the niche located in the southeast corner of the tomb chamber, there was a celadon vase placed upside down. A black porcelain vessel was placed inside the niche of the southwest corner of the tomb (Figure 3). A small white porcelain bowl was located inside the small niche on the northern wall. A pottery kettle was located inside the small niche on northeast corner (Figure 4). Four pottery kettles were found in the rear of the tomb chamber near a small niche on the northern wall and the small niche in the northwest corner. Seven lead flowers and three lead ornaments were unearthed to the left of the skull of the adult on the west. Three tomb-guarding pebbles were unearthed in the middle of the west side of the tomb chamber.

Figure 4. The small niche at the northeast corner of M1.

Translated by Garry Guan, A-A Language Services; Copyright 2013 East View Press.

Figure 5. Brick masonry facades of M1.

Figure 6. Murals on the northern wall of M1.

Translated by Garry Guan, A-A Language Services; Copyright 2013 East View Press.

II. Murals and Brick Masonry Facades in the Tomb Chamber

Both side walls of the tomb chamber of M1, as well as the lower portion of the northern wall, are brick masonry facades simulated wood construction. The upper portion of the northern wall contains simple murals.

The brick facades of the tomb chamber simulate wood structured courtyard houses. Both east and west sides are symmetrical, representing the side houses. The north side, higher than the rest, depicts the main house (Figure 5).

The main house is three-bays wide. The middle section of the house is much wider with double-paneled doors in its center. The doors recede inward, forming a small niche, and are slightly ajar. There is a door frame outside with doorsills and door piers at the bottom. The panel doors are painted with lattice patterns and decorative “nipples” in white (Figure 7). Latticed windows appear on each side of the doors. In the center of the window panes are lattice patterns consisting of conjoined six-leafed flowers. Inside the decorative gate, reminiscent of Sumeru throne frames, on the panel below the window are four-leafed intertwining grass patterns. On the window panes of both of the outer rooms are turtoise shell lattice flowers consisting of conjoined three-leafed flowers. Inside the decorative gate on the panels below the windows are six-leafed intertwining grass patterns (Figure 8). Just above the double doors are three double-level Dougong brackets under the eave tiebeams. Two are pillar-top Dougong brackets and one is an in-between Dougong bracket. Each consists of a lower cap block, a flower arm, a cap block, an arm and noses (Figure 9). These Dougong brackets support the architraves. On top of the architraves are cornice purlins. Square eave rafters and round flying rafters are placed on top of cornice purlins. Tiles are placed on the round flying rafters.

Both the east and west side houses are five-bays wide. The middle section is wider, with double-latticed doors in the center. Inside the panes are ancient coin-shaped lattice flower patterns consisting of conjoined four-leafed flowers. The lower door panels contain the decorative gates. The doors on the east wall are slightly ajar, while the doors on the west wall are fully closed. On both

Figure 7. Double panel doors of the main house.

Figure 8. Latticed windows of the main house.

Figure 9. Brick facade of a support structure on the northern wall of the tomb chamber.

Translated by Garry Guan, A-A Language Services; Copyright 2013 East View Press.

Figure 10. Celadon vase (M1:1).

Figure 12. White porcelain bowl (M1:4).

Figure 14. Lead flowers (M1:9).

Figure 11. Black porcelain vase (M1:2).

Figure 13. Pottery kettle (M1:8).

Figure 15. Lead ornaments (M1:10).

Translated by Garry Guan, A-A Language Services; Copyright 2013 East View Press.

Figure 16. Pottery and Porcelain Artifacts. 1. Celadon vase (M1:1) 2. Pottery kettle (M1:8) 3. White porcelain bowl (M1:4) 4. Black porcelain vessel; (M1:2) (Scale: 1:4)

sides of the doors are latticed windows. The tracery of these latticed windows consists of double-rib crossing four-petal lattice patterns. The lower panels of the windows contain the decorative gates, which differ from those on the panel doors in shape and style. The latticed windows of the two outer rooms include ancient coin patterns. The decorative gates on the lower panel of the windows are the same as those on the panel doors in shape and style. Each outermost rooms has a brick-structured niche, and the size of the small niche is equivalent to the height and width of a brick. There is a layer of flat bricks on top of the brick masonry facades simulating the tiebeams. There are five single-level Dougong brackets underneath the tiebeams. There is an architrave resting on top of each Dougong bracket. All of these are pillar-top Dougong brackets except the one in-between Dougong bracket in the center. Underneath the Dougong brackets and between the pillars are architraves supported below by the square pillars with rounded corners.

Murals are located on the upper portion of the northern wall, above the eaves. A red brick color served as a background color and the murals are painted with white paint directly on the brick. Themes of the mural are quite simple. The central

Figure 17. Lead Artifacts 1, 2. Lead ornaments (M1:10-1, 10-3); 3, 4. Lead flowers (M1:9-1, 9-6). (Scale: 1:1)

Translated by Garry Guan, A-A Language Services; Copyright 2013 East View Press.

lower section displays a gray plate full of offerings. White flowers with twisted branches are painted on both sides. More lateral are two servants facing each other while bowing their heads. All the major simulated wood structure components are decorated with white S-shape flowers with twisted branches. The lines of these painted flowers are smooth and well-defined, although faded (Figure 6).

III. Artifacts Unearthed

There are a total of 18 artifacts unearthed in M1, including three porcelain items, five pottery vessels, 10 lead ornaments, plus three tomb-guarding pebbles.

One celadon vase (M1:1) was unearthed. The body is a greenish-gray color. There is some impurity in the clay. The vase has a straight opening with a downturned rounded lip, a short narrow neck, and a round foot turned slightly outward. The surface of the vase is glazed with green enamel and carved with peony flowers except that the original body is exposed at the bottom of the round foot. The diameter of the vase opening is 5 cm, body 11.6 cm, round foot 6.8 cm, and height 21.4 cm (Figure 10, 16:1).

One black porcelain vessel (M1:2) was unearthed. Its body is a tawny color with significant impurity consisting of coarse particles. The vase has an expanding opening with a downturned rounded lip, a short narrow neck, outward projected shoulder, and rounded foot turning slightly outward. The surface shows a black glaze that does not cover the entire lower portion leaving rounded foot completely unglazed. The diameter of the vase opening is 4.9 cm, body 11.4 cm, round foot 6.8 cm, and height 19.5 cm (Figure 11, 16:4).

One white porcelain bowl (M1:4) was unearthed. Its body was white, relatively fine and pure. The bowl has an expanding opening with a sharp round lip, tilted straight belly with small short round foot. It has a white glaze on both its inside and outside, although the outside glaze does not completely cover the bottom. The over-glazed areas show a light green color. The diameter of the bowl opening is 12.8 cm, round foot 3.5, and height 4.2 cm (Figure 12, 16:3).

Five pottery kettles were unearthed. Their shapes and styles are essentially the same. The bodies above and below the eaves appear to have been made separately with pottery wheels and subsequently joined together. The kettles have receding openings with rounded lips, narrow

shoulder eaves, drum bellies, and flat bottoms. The diameter of item M1:8 is 12.2 cm, shoulder eave 16 cm, bottom 6 cm, and height 9.3 cm (Figure 13:16:2).

Seven lead flowers were unearthed. Their surfaces are a lead white color. Their shapes resemble those of thumbnail tops. Two of the lead flowers are intact and the rest are damaged. Items 1 to 5 are the same shape and style and items 6 to 7 are the same shape and style (Figure 14). Item M1: 9-1: The round top of this artifact is raised in the middle and its edge forms a six-petal sunflower shape. Its diameter is 2.4 cm (Figure 17:3). Item M1:9-6: The round top of this item is also raised in the middle and its edge forms a hexagon Ryoka shape. Its diameter is 2.3 cm (Figure 17:4).

Three lead ornaments were unearthed. Their surfaces are a lead white color. One of the items is intact and two others are damaged. The intact item is in the shape of a long, thin leaf with the upper part wider and the lower part narrower. It has a handle and sharp points projecting upwards from the center of the top and sides respectively. The front surface has molded decorative patterns, and the back side is plain. Items 1 and 2 have the same decorative patterns (Figure 5). Item M1: 10-1: The front surface has two molded anthocephalus flowers. Its length is 5.2 cm, width 1.5 to 2.1 cm, thickness .15 cm (Figure 17:1). Item M1:10-3: The front surface has two vertical lines dividing the piece into three panels, with each panel molded with leaf vein patterns. Its length is 4.1 cm, width 1.3 to 1.9 cm, and thickness .17 cm (Figure 17:2).

Three tomb-guarding small pebbles were unearthed. These white pebbles are rough-surfaced with black and gray speckles. Two are intact and one is broken in two. All three are in an irregular egg shape. Item M1: 11-1: The pebble has cinnabar paint on its surface. Its diameter is 2.6 to 4.1 cm. Item M1: 11-2: The diameter of this pebble is 2.5 to 3.6 cm. Item M1:11-3: The diameter of this pebble is 3.4 to 3.9 cm.

IV. Conclusion M1 is a small vertical ramp/rectangular single chamber brick tomb, rectangular shape and an arched ceiling. Brick masonry facades simulating wood construction with murals were found inside the tomb chamber. According to the excavations, these types of tombs became popular in the northern region of China during the late years of Dazhong of the Tang Dynasty. Their popularity

Translated by Garry Guan, A-A Language Services; Copyright 2013 East View Press.

peaked during the late Jin Dynasty (Qin 2004). The murals in M1 are fairly simple. The themes of the brick masonry facades are even more limited. No human figures, indoor furniture, or pictorial stories with human roles appeared. The artifacts unearthed in this tomb are mainly pottery kettles and porcelain vases. The pottery kettles have receding openings, round drum bellies, and small flat bottoms. Narrow shoulder eaves are located below the openings. Pottery kettles of this type were commonly seen in tombs from the period of the Song and Yuan dynasties in the Xi’an area. Pottery kettles of the same type were unearthed from some of the Song Dynasty Tombs in the Shijiaxing Township of Xi’an (Records and artifacts currently curated at CRPARIX). Coins unearthed were mainly Song period coins. Of note, a brick tomb epitaph mentioning the “Great Song” was unearthed in M102, allowing certainty of a Song Dynasty date. Similar pottery kettles were also unearthed from the Tomb of Xinzhao Li (Ma and Zhang 1988) and the Tomb of Yishi Liu (Chen 1985) of the Yuan Dynasty. The summary reports of these excavations called these kettles “pottery pots”, and speculated that they were used with pottery stoves. The black glazed porcelain vase had a small trumpet opening with rounded lips. The upper portion of its body was round like a drum, and the lower portion gradually narrowed inwardly. A bean green glazed celadon vase with carved flowers unearthed had glistening smooth glaze, and was carved with peony flower patterns. In shape and style as well as in decorative patterns, this vase resembled the green glazed celadon vase unearthed from M2 in the Lü Family Cemetery of the Northern Song Dynasty in Lantian. An inscribed stone pier was unearthed from M2 of the Lü Family Cemetery of the Northern Song Dynasty in Lantian, indicating the date to be

the 8th year of Yuanyou (A.D. 1093) under the reign of the Zhezong Emperor of the Northern Song Dynasty. Based on the shape and style of the tomb and the artifacts unearthed, compared with similar tombs in the Xi’an area, we suggest that the date of the M1 is mid to late northern Song Dynasty.

M1 contains a rare discovery from the Northern Song Dynasty period in the Xi’an area of a brick masonry faced tomb with murals. Up to now, most known brick masonry tombs of the Song, Jin and Yuan dynasties were concentrated in Henan and Shanxi. This excavated tomb contains a brick masonry facade with murals. It is an important discovery, contributing significantly to research on tombs of the Song and Jin dynasties in the Xi’an area. Though the size of the tomb is rather small, it is relatively well preserved. The simulated wood courtyard houses and artifacts unearthed can serve as important physical evidence for studying dwellings, daily lives as well as the beliefs and views of the funeral practices of the period.

Acknowledgments. Excavations by Xiaoli Zhang, Lianhua Zhu, and Anlin Hu; Photography by Lei Wang, Xiaoxin Luo, and Bo Gao; Drawings by Xiaoting Dang and Anlin Hu.

References Cited Qin, Dashu

2004 Archaeology of Song, Yuan and Ming Dynasties. Wenwu Publishing House, Beijing, China.

Ma, Zhixiang and Xiaorong Zhang 1988 The Tomb of Xinzhao Li of Yuan Dynasty in Qujiang,

Xi’an. Relics and Museology No. 2. Chen, Anli

1985 Summary Report of Cleaning up of the Tomb of Shiyi Liu of Yuan Dynasty in the East Suburb of Xi’an. Relics and Museology No.4.

(Editor of Wenwu: Yuanyuan Li)

Translated by Garry Guan, A-A Language Services; Copyright 2013 East View Press.