Ancient Jin Dynasty tombs with murals unearthed in Shanxi

The Shanxi Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology recently published new excavation information about three brick-chamber tombs with murals from the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) in Changzhi city, Shanxi province.

In November 2023, archaeologists from the institute and the Changzhi Archaeological Research Institute conducted salvage excavations in Qiangcheng village in the city's Lucheng district, where they found the three ancient tombs.

Although the tombs had varying degrees of looting and damage, they were relatively well preserved and included murals, decorations, inscriptions and epitaphs.

Though they belong to the same period and region, the tombs show distinct characteristics and styles.

The walls of Tomb M19 and Tomb M20 are adorned with brick-carved arches, doors, windows, figures and floral patterns, along with inscriptions detailing information related to the tombs, such as time, figures, events, history and geography.

Tomb M21 exhibits an entirely different style. Its chamber walls also imitate wooden structures, but the painted flora, fauna and colors are markedly different from the other two, leaving archaeologists room for further interpretation.

According to the institute, the tomb epitaphs and inscriptions add historical materials and examples to the study of Jin Dynasty tombs in the northern region.

The tombs reflect traditional Chinese culture, social ethics, ancient architectural characteristics, tomb architecture and funeral customs, providing new materials and insights for the study of ancient tomb culture and archaeological history.