Two Tombs from Tang Dynasty Were Found in Jinan, Shandong Province

On July 1st 2015, Jinan Municipal Institute of Archaeology conducted a savage excavation to the ancient tombs in Shanghe county, Jinan city, Shandong province. In total, archaeologists found two tombs from Tang dynasty, both were single-chambered brick tombs with dome, unearthing pottery pot, ewer, bowl, bottle, copper mirror, bone comb, lacquer plate and etc.

M1, single-chambered brick tomb with dome, consisted of tomb passage, tomb gate and chamber. The tomb passage was located at the south of the chamber, tended towards a slope, with 1-meter long left. The chamber of the tomb was round, 3.1 meters in diameter, 3.14 meters’ high, and the chamber was laid around, made of bricks with rope pattern on single side. At the bottom of the chamber, coffin platform was laid, which was in rectangular shape. The joint between the chamber and the passage was the tomb gate, cross built by two layers of bricks. Inside the gate, there was a patio. Altogether, a variety of cultural relics were unearthed in M1, including 1 copper mirror, 1 folded hairpin, 1 pottery jar, 2 ceramic bowls, 1 ceramic ewer, 1 ceramic bottle, 1 bone comb, 2 pieces of lacquer, 3 copper coins. 

M2 was located in the southeast of M1, with similar shape and structure, mode of construction of M1. However, the preservation condition of M2 was poorer, and the cover of the tomb disappeared. 1 pottery jar, 1 white ceramic bowl, 1 lacquer and 1 piece of ironware were unearthed in M2.
 
According to the shape and structure of the tomb, the form of the unearthed pottery and porcelain, these two tombs were from Tang dynasty.   
 
This is the first tomb unearthed in Shanghe area. M1 was completely preserved, whose cultural relics unearthed were carrying rich connotation and complete vessel combination, to enrich the cultural relics materials of this area in Tang dynasty, and provide important information for understanding the funerary custom of Jinan area in Tang dynasty. Especially, both M1 and M2 unearthed lacquer from Tang dynasty, and well preserved, which was the first time in Shandong province, demonstrating the higher standard of these two tombs, requiring more detailed  archaeological work for further study.    (Translator: Wang Jue)