Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng
The Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng (
Discovery and layout
The People's Liberation Army accidentally discovered the tomb in 1977 while destroying a hill to build a factory at Leigudun. The tomb was constructed of large wooden timbers and covers an area of 220 square meters. The date "jiayin 3rd day" (甲寅三日) written on an astronomical diagram on a lacquered clothing chest from the tomb is believed to be the date of the Marquis's death or an important date in his life, and has been extrapolated to the evening of the 3rd day of the third lunar month of 433 BC.[2]
The tomb is divided into four separate chambers,
In 1981, a less well-preserved and smaller tomb was discovered about 100 meters away, containing the remains of a woman related to Marquis Yi. This tomb contained a less extravagant set of 36 bronze bells and other musical instruments.
Contents
Musical instruments
The most famous discovery at the tomb is the large set of 64
Other musical instruments in the ensemble include stone
Ritual bronzes
Along with the Late Shang dynasty tomb of Fu Hao, the tomb represents one of the largest sets of ritual bronze vessels to be properly recorded at the site. Most of the large number of ritual bronzes extant are individual pieces, or pairs, with no archaeological context recorded, but it is becoming clear that most pieces would have originally come from large groups deposited in an elite tomb.[6]
The tomb had a total of 88 vessels and implements such as ladles and shovels, with many matching sets of a particular type of vessel. The decoration of the vessels is highly elaborate, with many protruding elements. The largest vessel is a unique pan wine vessel in two pieces, 33 cm high and nearly as wide. There are two different sets of the ding type of cauldron, typically a key component of late sets of vessels: 9 matching open sheng ding, 5 matching with covers, and seven individual ding, two very large. There is a matching set of 9 of the smaller li type of cauldron. Other vessels include a set of 8 covered gui for holding grain, 4 fǔ (簠) square sacrificial vessels, 10 cups on legs, four fou, and several other pairs or individual pieces.[7]
Other contents
In addition to aesthetic artifacts, the tomb contained a trove of weaponry, including arrowheads,
The earliest examples of Chinese ink writings on bamboo (Zhujian) were discovered in this tomb, showing the calligraphic styles of the Chu or Zeng state. They recorded the people who attended the Marquis's funeral, such as the officials and royalty of the Chu and Zeng states and also included details of their transportation, such as number of horses carrying the chariots. These bamboo slips provide important information on the development of Chinese brush calligraphy.
See also
Notes
- ^ http://www.hb.xinhuanet.com/zhuanti/13three/zhym/ 曾国的故城遗址在今湖北省随州市曾都区
- ^ Zhang Wenyu (张闻玉) (1993). "曾侯乙墓天文图象"甲寅三日"之解释" [Explanation of the meaning of "Jiayin 3rd Day" on the Astronomy Diagram from the tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng]. Jiang-Han Kaogu (江汉考古) (3): 66–68.
- ^ Imperial Tombs of China. Lithograph Publishing Company. 1995.
- ^ Rawson, 68
- ^ Rawson, 68-69 (not all detail)
- ^ Rawson, 44-50
- ^ Rawson, 351-353; 68-69
References
- ISBN 9780714124469
- So, Jenny F., (2000), Music in the Age of Confucius, Washington, Smithsonian, ISBN 0-295-97953-4
- Kwan, Simon, Early Chinese Glass.
- von Falkenhausen, Lothar. (1993). Suspended Music: Chime Bells in the Culture of Bronze Age China. Berkeley, University of California Press.