I noticed that the article on Tumulus in Wikipedia was lacking references to Chinese tumuli, so I added whatever I knew offhand.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tumulus#China
Are there any other examples?
Full Version: Ancient Tumuli in China
If the mounds like those of Qin Shi Huang, & if the Han & Tang burials from large to small count, then there are masses of them. Countless if the small ones are included.
There is about 20 miles IIRC around Xian where West Han tombs are positioned, and smaller ones are scattered about too. Tang tombs are clustered in a different area. They are shown on locality maps as bands of tombs...and these are only the Imperial ones.
Even modern peasants are buried on the same land, and fresh mounds could be seen amongst the millet, covered with offerings and like tiny versions of the man-made mountains in the distance.
Emperor Jingdi's tomb Yangling, and Wudi's (Maoling) are some of the ones I visited but even Tang princes and princess were buried under mound like structures. The tombs around Xian vary from a small house to the size of a true hill and boldly stand out on the flat terrain of the region.
They are the stand out feature for me while travelling outside the city.
(PS; I forgot how bad the smog was...this is in Summer and the heat still doesn't lift the vapour).
Here's a few typical shots from a dozen or so I took while driving around. Large to small.
Mountains were where immortals lived, so building a mountain may have been thought to aid the deceased.
Even Han artefacts show an interest in mountain motifs on ceramic and bronze containers shapes.
Large ones with smaller graves closer. Even the small mounds could potentially be Han.
West Han Emperors as far as can be seen in a row, viewed from atop Wudi's tomb.
Looking from the top of Wudi's tomb to an associated tomb (a wife IIRC)
There is about 20 miles IIRC around Xian where West Han tombs are positioned, and smaller ones are scattered about too. Tang tombs are clustered in a different area. They are shown on locality maps as bands of tombs...and these are only the Imperial ones.
Even modern peasants are buried on the same land, and fresh mounds could be seen amongst the millet, covered with offerings and like tiny versions of the man-made mountains in the distance.
Emperor Jingdi's tomb Yangling, and Wudi's (Maoling) are some of the ones I visited but even Tang princes and princess were buried under mound like structures. The tombs around Xian vary from a small house to the size of a true hill and boldly stand out on the flat terrain of the region.
They are the stand out feature for me while travelling outside the city.
(PS; I forgot how bad the smog was...this is in Summer and the heat still doesn't lift the vapour).
Here's a few typical shots from a dozen or so I took while driving around. Large to small.
Mountains were where immortals lived, so building a mountain may have been thought to aid the deceased.
Even Han artefacts show an interest in mountain motifs on ceramic and bronze containers shapes.
Large ones with smaller graves closer. Even the small mounds could potentially be Han.
West Han Emperors as far as can be seen in a row, viewed from atop Wudi's tomb.
Looking from the top of Wudi's tomb to an associated tomb (a wife IIRC)
Good angles there, Kenneth
I guess we cannot gain access to closer area?
Are there any artefacts found yet?
I guess we cannot gain access to closer area?
Are there any artefacts found yet?
You can get access to 'closer' areas without too much trouble. These are just in farmland, and I took the photos from atop the main mound (there are several at Maoling) in the last 2 photos, and of the other small ones on farms I expect that if you just ask politely there is a good chance of getting close.
A number you can climb anyway, and one Tang prince & princess mound near Qianling have both been excavated so you can go underneath, see the painted walls and the coffins (well, reconstructions since the originals were removed from the walls & main chamber to save them).
There are real undergound passages under the tombs. The larger ones will be the same.
Masses of artefacts have come from each of the ones I mentioned. Wudi's tomb has had a number of pieces just found in the ground around the mound. The actual area is many kilometres accross just like the Qin buried army is a distance from the First Emperors tomb.
There is a museum at Jingdis' tomb that displays artefacts from the Han buried army and other pits that are around the main tomb. The size of these things is immense.
I posted pics of the undergound view of one Tang tomb, and some views of sites around Yangling & Maoling here;
Chinese "Pyramid" imperial tomb mounds
http://www.chinahistoryforum.com/index.php?showtopic=5322
A number you can climb anyway, and one Tang prince & princess mound near Qianling have both been excavated so you can go underneath, see the painted walls and the coffins (well, reconstructions since the originals were removed from the walls & main chamber to save them).
There are real undergound passages under the tombs. The larger ones will be the same.
Masses of artefacts have come from each of the ones I mentioned. Wudi's tomb has had a number of pieces just found in the ground around the mound. The actual area is many kilometres accross just like the Qin buried army is a distance from the First Emperors tomb.
There is a museum at Jingdis' tomb that displays artefacts from the Han buried army and other pits that are around the main tomb. The size of these things is immense.
I posted pics of the undergound view of one Tang tomb, and some views of sites around Yangling & Maoling here;
Chinese "Pyramid" imperial tomb mounds
http://www.chinahistoryforum.com/index.php?showtopic=5322
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