This ancient tomb is located in a village called? Miaozishan? Halfway up the mountain, Miaozi Mountain is a treasure trove in the eyes of local people, and the mountain is like a plush chair. Thousands of years ago, this mountain became the graveyard of a prominent family because of its unique form.
According to the preliminary research by archaeological experts, this ancient tomb should be that of Liao Dynasty. However, experts are not excited about this. For one thing, the discovery of a large number of ancient tombs in Liao Dynasty has become commonplace. Secondly, there is a high probability that the tombs of the Liao Dynasty will be stolen. From the discovered tombs of the Liao Dynasty, there has not been a complete tomb that has never been destroyed.
But when the archaeologists cleared out the general outline of the tomb, they were pleasantly surprised to find that the ancient tomb seemed to be completely intact, and the door of the tomb was intact, with no trace of theft. When the archaeologists opened the tomb, the strong sunshine made the whole tomb completely and clearly presented to people, which made the people present feel refreshed.
(murals in the tomb)
The murals on both sides of the tomb are still colorful after thousands of years, showing a rich nomadic life scene, and the grassland customs are coming. This is the world-famous Liao tomb mural comparable to Dunhuang mural, which vividly describes the brilliant civilization of the Qidan Empire in the north.
Although the scale of this ancient tomb is not large, the people present were dumbfounded by the dazzling array of funerary objects inside.
There are so many gold, silver, jade, amber and agate piled up like a mountain that archaeologists have almost no place to stand, for fear that if they are not careful, they will damage the priceless treasure under their feet.
After careful inventory by archaeologists, * * * found more than 3,2 precious funerary objects. The total amount of gold products alone reached more than 1,7 grams, and silver products weighed more than 1, grams.
What excites archaeologists most is that two bodies, a man and a woman, are placed side by side in the center of the tomb. They are all silver crowns with gold-plated heads, their faces covered with gold masks, and they are dressed in silver wire nets, amber wreaths on their chests, amber pearl necklaces on their necks and silver boots on their ankles.
Two golden masks have aroused great interest from experts. The masks are semi-embossed and made according to the face of the tomb owner before his death. The face of the mask is plump, the lips are pursed and the forehead is stretched, showing the remarkable characteristics of young women. The mask is connected with the silver wire head network, with a face length of 2.5 cm, a width of 17.2 cm, an ear length of 7.6 cm and a width of 3 cm, a mask thickness of .5 cm and a weight of 184 grams.
(Golden Mask)
So, who is the owner of the tomb? Why can you enjoy a thick burial comparable to that of an emperor after death?
A complete epitaph found at the scene has solved people's doubts. According to the inscription, the owner of the tomb is Princess Chen, the granddaughter of Emperor Jing Zong and Empress Xiao Yanyan in Liao Dynasty and the daughter of Yelu Qin Long, King of Qin Jin.
Jerusha Qin Long is the second son of Emperor Jing Zong and a brother of Emperor Shengzong. From this, we can see that Princess Chen is a veritable royal relative.
with him was her Xu, named Xiao Shaoju. Although there is little introduction to Xu Ma in the epitaph, from Liao History, it is not difficult to see that Xiao Shaoju is the son of Xiao Kunyin and the brother of the Empress Saint Zong Rende.
From these complicated relationships, it can be seen that Xiao Shaoju is actually the uncle of Princess Chen, and they are close relatives.
However, this is nothing in the history of Liao Dynasty. As a royal family, Yelv's marriage with Xiao's family, which was a descendant of all previous dynasties, is more conducive to the rule of Liao Dynasty.
Princess Chen married Xiao Shaoju at the age of 16, and died of illness two years later. Xiao Shaoju followed his beloved wife soon after.
(Princess Chen)
Then, why did the two tomb owners cover their faces with gold masks after their death?
This is mainly due to the unique funeral customs of the Qidan nationality.
Khitan is a nomadic people. They live by water and grass, fish and graze, and hunt for a living. They are truly a people on horseback. In the long-term struggle with the harsh environment of nature, a reverence for nature has gradually formed. Therefore, after the death of the Khitan people, they will give back to nature, and a unique? Tree burial? Custom.
as the name implies, the so-called? Tree burial? It means that after death, the body is hung on a tree, ranging from January to half a year or a year, and it is allowed to rot naturally. In the process of tree burial, the body will inevitably be eroded by birds and animals, so that it will become unrecognizable. In order to maintain the dignity of the deceased and facilitate the collection of the bones of the deceased, a metal mask was made to cover the face, and the body was ensnared with wire mesh.