Eastern Han Dynasty relics found in Anhui tombs

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More than 50 ancient and rare relics have been uncovered in a tomb excavation in Guxian County, of Anhui Province. The 53-tomb complex is thought to have been constructed over many periods as far back as the Eastern Han Dynasty, nearly 2,000 years ago.

The huge tomb complex was discovered accidentally on a construction site.

It contains over 50 brick tombs from the Eastern Han, Tang and Song dynasties.

Experts have been able to identify the type of people who were buried in some of the tombs.

Zhao Lanhui, deputy researcher of Bengbu Cultural Relics Institute, said, "Lying south to north would perhaps be people of four generations. Because of its size, we know the tomb is from the Song Dynasty. It's small and fairly simple in style. These tombs sometimes have quite a unique character, and have been known to be built in the shape of an animal."

More than 50 ancient and rare relics have been uncovered in a tomb excavation in Guxian County, of Anhui Province. The 53-tomb complex is thought to have been constructed over many periods as far back as the Eastern Han Dynasty, nearly 2,000 years ago.

Though some tombs have been plundered over the years, precious relics have emerged, such as bronze mirrors, gold and silver garments, and pottery boxes.

Most of the people buried here were thought to have been common people, until the discovery of one special, delicate and well preserved mirror.

Zhou Chongwen, archaeologist, said, "It's a relatively large bronze mirror, which means the owner had a certain social status."

The study is continuing into the tomb's history and the kind of people who lived here.

It's generating a great deal of interest in the area's heritage and cultural identity.

More than 50 ancient and rare relics have been uncovered in a tomb excavation in Guxian County, of Anhui Province. The 53-tomb complex is thought to have been constructed over many periods as far back as the Eastern Han Dynasty, nearly 2,000 years ago.

Source: CNTV.CN

Chinese Coin Mirror Discovered in Song Dynasty Tomb

Song Dynasty bronze mirror with Chinese coin design 

From "Primal Trek" by Gary Ashkenazy

 An ancient bronze mirror with a Chinese coin design was recently unearthed from a Song Dynasty (960-1279) tomb according to a report from Qianjiang City (潜江), Hubei Province.
 The Qianjiang Cultural Relics Bureau (潜江文物局) announced that the mirror, which has some damage, was among the precious items found in a tomb located in Longwan Zhen (龙湾镇).
 Also discovered in the tomb were three silver bracelets and a bronze wash basin.
 The mirror design incorporates multiple images of the classic Chinese cash coin, which is round with a square hole in the center, that was used for more than 2,000 years in China.
In addition to the mirror with the coin motif, 42 ancient Chinese cash coins were excavated from the tomb.
 The coins included Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) wu zhu (五铢) coins and Tang Dynasty (618-907) kai yuan tong bao (开元通宝) coins.
 There were also coins from the Song Dynasty such as tai ping tong bao (太平通宝 976 – 989), jing de yuan bao (景德元宝 998-1022), and xi ning tong bao (熙宁通宝 1068-1085).
 This is the first time coins from more than ten Emperor reigns have been discovered in a single tomb in Qianjiang.
The report concluded by stating that the discovery of the tomb will contribute greatly to the understanding of local burial customs and the historical changes that occurred during the Song Dynasty.

Archaeologists starts to unearth ancient tombs in Fanchang, China's Anhu

An archaeological staff member measures an ancient tomb discovered in Xin'gang Township, Fanchang County, east China's Anhui Province, Dec. 22, 2011. Archaeologists on Thursday started to unearth a group of ancient tombs discovered in a construction site in Xin'gang Township of Anhui Province. The tombs were believed to be of the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties. (Xinhua/Yang Hua)

200,000 ancient coins from Northern Song Dynasty unearthed, weighing 4 tonnes

Archaeologists in east China's Jiangsu Province have unearthed about 200,000 ancient coins in a well on a construction site in the city of Suzhou.

The coins, weighing around 4 tonnes, were believed to be from the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1126), the city's archaeological institute said in a press release.

Construction workers found the well and coins first on Wednesday. Archaeologists rushed to the site and spent one day digging out coins in a protective manner.

Archaeologists assumed that the large amount of coins might be hidden by some rich family during war in relatively-prosperous Suzhou. The exact source has yet to be confirmed.

Source: Xinhua

Song paintings compilation released

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The fine art of painting reached a pinnacle during China's Song Dynasty some one thousand years ago. Song dynasty paintings are known for their wide selection of subject matter and subtle use of ink and brushes. Recently a series of compilation publications of Song Dynasty paintings were introduced to the public.
Numerous books have compiled masterpieces by painters of the Song Dynasty, including Wang Ximeng, Zhao Chang and Guo Xi. Most of the original works are collected from more than ten countries around the world.
The paintings featured in the books are in their scaled down versions, with notes detailing their original sizes.
Xiao Yanji, Editor in Chief, said, "Decay sets in ancient paintings over the years, so we are extremely cautious when opening a scroll. Now this refined publication comes in handy, you don't have to go to the original for further study."
The project of compiling masterpieces of the Song Dynasty paintings began five years ago. Eight volumes are scheduled for the project made up of a total of 32 books, so far five volumes are finished and are available in the market.

Source: CCTV