School of Cultural Heritage, Northwest University et al. ..............................................................................................................04

A preliminary report of the Guaiyu turquoise mining site at Lushi, Henan

Abstract：The Guaiyu Turquoise mining site is located in Lushi County, Henan Provincie. It is in the Luo River basin, to the north of the East Qinling Mountains. From 2018 to 2020, Northwest University and several organizations conducted three surveys there, and found 12 ancient turquoise mining cave sites. Though the sites are small in scale, a considerable number of relics, mainly stone hammers and pottery fragments, were discovered. The blue-green ores found in the cave are analyzed and identified as turquoise. According to the discoveries, these caves may have been ancient turquoise mining sites. The collected relics indicate the mining sites may have been in use from the late Neolithic Age to the Spring and Autumn Period, and the mining activities were most frequent in the Shang and Zhou Dynasties. The Guaiyu site contributes greatly to the research of the mining, utilization and circulation of turquoise in the Central Plains of China.

Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Sanmenxia Municipal Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology..............................................................................................................................................................................................12

The excavation of the Wangshi cemetery of the Ming Dynasty at Hubinghuayuan, Sanmenxia

Abstract：In 2014, the Sanmenxia Municipal Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology conducted a salvage excavation for the Hubin Garden Project. Five Ming-Dynasty burials of the Wang lineage were unearthed, from which epitaphs came to light. The epitaphs indicated a tomb occupant, WANG Qin, being an official of Zhejiang. They also inscribed that WANG Yan and his son, WANG Chenghui, being officials. The records are accord with the historical documents of the Shaan state. The burials and epitaphs have contributed to the understanding of mortuary customs and historical events.

Handan Municipal Institute of Cultural Preservation...........................................................................................................27

The excavation of four mural-painting tombs of the Song-Jin period at Handan

Abstract：In August 2017, the Handan Conservation Institute of Culture Relics excavated four tombs with mural paintings. Burials M1, M2, M3 were all round in shape, of a single chamber, and with brick-built lamps and other living utensils. Burial M4 was of double chambers. Its main chamber was of mural paintings, the contents of which included the tomb occupant couple, filial piety, the image of a woman opening a door, tables, chairs, cabinets, doors and windows, lamps, etc. According to the content of the murals, the tomb structure and the unearthed relics, burial M4 may date to the early Jin Dynasty. The dates of burials M1, M2 and M3 might be slightly earlier than M4, and should be from the late Northern Song Dynasty to the early Jin Dynasty.

FENG Shi..............................................................................................................................................................................................37

On the Dongmentou stone tablet and its related questions

Abstract：The origin of Chinese civilization rooted in the cosmology centering the heaven-and-human relations. It suggests that early astronomical observation was related to civilization. The author argues a stone tablet of the Neolithic period at Dongmentou, Zigui, Hubei Province should have been the earliest facility guibiao to measure shadows. The inscribed image reflects the activity of shadow measuring. Furthermore, the shadow-measuring image correlates with the Chinese character Hao, which could shed light on the nature of the Dahao culture and the Shaohao culture. The Dongmentou stone tablet makes materialized evidence of the eight thousand years of Chinese civilization.

GUO Xin ...........................................................................................................................................................................................52

On the tomb occupant of the family burial plot of the Sixteen Kingdoms at Xiangzhisi, Xi' an

Abstract：In 2017, the Xi’an Municipal Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology excavated seven burials of the Sixteen Kingdoms, which were located 700 meters to the north of the Xiangzhisi village, Xian. They were similar in design and in a regular layout. A seal with fengchedu inscriptions came to light from burial No. 5. The author, by conducting a synthetic analysis, argues that the burial plot should be of the Huangfu family.

XU Feihong..........................................................................................................................................................................................................57

On the Sui-Dynasty burials at Anyang

Abstract：The published burials of the Sui and Tang Dynasties in Anyang amounts to 193, which are crucial for understanding the mortuary transformation and the social changes then. They could be classified into two groups. The first group consists of large-scale brick tombs, each with a burial passage. The tomb occupants are mainly officials. The second group are shaft-pit burials, the tomb occupants of which should have been low-status civilians. The Sui-Dynasty figurines in Anyang were, in general, a continuation of the style of the Northern-Qi, while being simplified and of a lower quality. Meanwhile, new elements, such as porcelain figurines, appeared. And the mortuary phenomena rooted in the change in the resident structure from Yecheng to Anyang. It reflected a society with prosperity in market economy. The Sui-Dynasty burials of Anyang directly impacted the Tang-Dynasty burials.

WANG Yin............................................................................................................................................................................................................67

On the tomb memorial ceremony and the new characteristics of mural arrangement of the Liao-Dynasty burials

Abstract：By comparing the patterns of the tomb memorial ceremony and mural arrangement between the Liao and the Han to Tang Dynasties, the author points out that the new characteristics of the Liao Dynasty were mainly manifested in two aspects. On one hand, the memorial space changed from centering on the “sacred seat”or the full-face image of the tomb owner which symbolized the soul of the tomb owner, to the remains of the tomb owner. On the other hand, the mural arrangement changed from imitating the hall and bedroom of the aboveground residence to imitating the courtyard and hall. The transformation was relevant with its origin in the late Tang tombs of Hebei area. Meanwhile, the prevalence of Buddhism in the Liao Dynasty and the“true body”worship of Tantric Buddhism was probably the cultural motivation that promoted the new characteristics to be popular among tombs of the Liao upper class.