Monday 2 November 2015

Tomb Tells Tale of Family Executed by China's 1st Female Emperor

Live science by Owen Jarus, Live Science Contributor | November 02, 2015

A "rubbing" of one of the epitaphs on the tomb of Yan Shiwei who helped China's only female emperor rise to power. The epitaph describes part of the man's life.
Credit: Chinese Cultural Relics

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A 1,300-year-old tomb, discovered in Xi'an city, China, holds the bones of a man who helped the nation's only female emperor rise to power. The epitaphs in the tomb describe how she then executed him and his entire family.
Located within a cave, the tomb contains the remains of Yan Shiwei and his wife, Lady Pei. While little is left of the individual's skeletons, archaeologists found colorful ceramic figurines, a mirror with a gold plaque and, most importantly, epitaphs inscribed on bluestones.
The tomb and its epitaphs were described recently in the journal Chinese Cultural Relics by researchers from the Xi'an Municipal Institute of Archaeology and Conservation of Cultural Heritage. [See Photos of the Chinese Tomb Site and Treasures]

A woman comes to power
Wu Zetian started out as a concubine of Emperor Gaozong (649-683), eventually becoming his empress and gaining a high degree of influence over him.
After the emperor's death, Wu Zetian declared that she would rule China as Empress Dowager with her son, Emperor Ruizong. The epitaphs say that shortly after her declaration, a duke named Xu Jingye led a rebellion in Jiangdu (modern-day Yangzhou).

This tomb guardian with a flame-shaped mane was also found in the ancient tomb of Yan Shiwei and his wife Lady Pei.
Credit: Chinese Cultural Relics

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At this time, according to the translated epitaphs, Yan Shiwei was serving as a military official in Jiangdu; the duke, Jingye, tried to persuade Shiwei to join the rebels, but Shiwei refused and fought against the duke.

"The lord [Yan Shiwei] intentionally broke his own arm to resist the coercion from the rebel, showing that his loyalty to the imperial court had not been shaken," the epitaphs read in translation. It's unknown why Shiwei had to intentionally break his own arm. It could have been during hand-to-hand fighting while trying to get out of a hold. It's also possible that the phrase is metaphorical. [In Photos: Gladiators of the Roman Empire]
In the ensuing conflict the duke's forces were defeated. Wu Zetian claimed power as Empress Dowager, and Yan Shiwei was promoted.
"After the rebels were defeated, the lord received his reward. He was promoted to magistrate of Lanxi County of Wuzhou Prefecture and given the title of grand master for closing court," the epitaphs say.
In 690, Wu Zetian declared herself emperor in her own right and founded her own dynasty, which she called the "Zhou."
As Wu Zetian's power increased, Yan Shiwei became one of her favorite officials, taking on those who challenged her authority. The epitaphs say that at one point Yan Shiwei was charged with confronting "powerful families" near the capital city of Luoyang. The texts say that civil disorder was occurring.
"There were more spoiled young bullies in the counties near the capital, and the local officials feared those powerful families," the epitaphs say. Yan Shiwei resolved the situation, although the epitaphs are vague on how he did it, saying that "the lord was strict as the autumn frost, as well as warming as the winter sun, and got the people to learn self-control, and civil order was established."
Betrayal and downfall
By 699, Yan Shiwei had become a senior official who "was stationed in the capital area and controlled mountains and rivers," the texts alluding to his great power.
The epitaphs say that Yan Shiwei had little time to enjoy his power before he was executed. "Before he started galloping, a tragedy descended upon him," the epitaphs say, explaining that his younger brother, Zhiwei, turned against the female emperor. The epitaphs don't specify precisely what Zhiwei did, but the consequences for Yan Shiwei and his family were severe.
"Due to guilt by association for the crime of his brother Zhiwei, he [Yan Shiwei] was executed under collective punishment," the epitaphs say, adding that "the entire family suffered collective punishment, and all were executed."
Yan Shiwei's wife, Lady Pei, had died a few years earlier, in 691, so she was not killed in the mass execution.
The epitaphs also suggest that murder was not enough of a punishment for Yan Shiwei's supposed betrayal. "The corpse and soul were carelessly buried, it being thought it would never be possible to move them for proper burial."
However, the female emperor was thrown out of power in 705, and died shortly afterward, bringing an end to her short-lived "Zhou" dynasty. The dynasty that had preceded her, called the "Tang," was restored to power.
"The resurrection of the Tang Dynasty brought exoneration [for Yan Shiwei]. Therefore, his remains were exhumed to be buried at his birthplace," the epitaphs say. The "tomb [that the archaeologists found] was built to house his remains," the writings say.
The tomb was excavated in 2002. The finds were first reported in Chinese in 2014 in the journal Wenwu. Recently, the Wenwu article was translated into English and published in the journal Chinese Cultural Relics.
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Photos: Tomb Reveals Murderous Tale of China Empress

by Owen Jarus, Live Science Contributor | November 02, 2015 06:50am ET

Little is left of the skeletons of Yan Shiwei and his wife, Lady Pei, but epitaphs on their 1,300-year-old tomb tell quite a brutal tale: Shiwei not only helped China's first female emperor rise to power but he was then executed by her. Here's a look at the treasures found inside the couple's tomb.

A story of power

Within the tomb, archaeologists found a variety of artifacts, including epitaphs, inscribed on bluestones, which tell this couple's story. According to the epitaphs, Yan Shiwei helped Wu Zetian, the only female emperor to ever rule China, rise to power; she later executed Yan Shiwei and his entire family.

This image shows a "rubbing" of one of the epitaphs. To create a rubbing, a soft material is lightly impressed against the stone inscription, resulting in a highly detailed copy. Researchers all over the world use this technique. This particular epitaph describes part of Yan Shiwei's life. (Credit: Chinese Cultural Relics)

Beautiful details

Among the artifacts found in the tomb is this mirror with a gold plaque on the back. The plaque is in the shape of a flower petal and is decorated with images of animals and grapes. It was buried with Lady Pei. (Credit: Chinese Cultural Relics)

Detail and colors

The tomb contains a variety of colorful ceramic figurines. Here, a figure of a deity known as a "heavenly king," who is shown wearing body armor while stepping on a bull. Buddhists believe there are four heavenly kings. It is about 79 centimeters (31 inches) in height. (Credit: Chinese Cultural Relics)

Inspired leadership

Another figurine of a heavenly king found in the tomb rises about 75 centimeters (30 inches) high. Researchers note that he has a handlebar mustache and a hair bun. (Credit: Chinese Cultural Relics)

Security

This figurine shows a tomb guardian with an angry human face. Tomb guardians were commonly used in ancient China and helped to protect the dead. It's about 92 centimeters (36 inches) in height. (Credit: Chinese Cultural Relics)

Angry protectors

Another tomb guardian, this one with a flame-shaped mane at the back of his head, the researchers note. It's about 95 centimeters (37 inches) in height. (Chinese Cultural Relics)

Royalty's headgear

The remains of a headdress found in the tomb was found in about 300 pieces. A project is underway to try to reconstruct it. The headdress contains a variety of materials, including gemstones, pearls and feathers, the researchers said.

Animals for the afterlife

Some of the ceramic figurines found in the tomb depict animals. This colorful camel is about 65 centimeters (26 inches) in height. (Credit: Chinese Cultural Relics)

Going for a ride

This image shows a female rider, wearing a short-sleeved jacket, on a horse. The figurine is about 41 centimeters (16 inches) in height.