According to the latest archaeological results released by Shanxi Institute of archaeology, archaeologists found three brick Mural Tombs of the Ming Dynasty in Luzhou District, Changzhi City, Shanxi Province, reflecting people’s view of life and death, the ethics of orderly growth and childhood, the cosmology of sun, moon and stars, etc.
Mural tomb is located in the West Ring Road, high tech Zone, Luzhou District, Changzhi City. In order to cooperate with the construction of municipal road projects, in 2021, Shanxi Institute of Archaeology and Changzhi Institute of ancient architecture protection and Archaeology excavated ancient tombs.
The three Mural Tombs are arranged in a “pin” shape. According to the shape of the tombs and unearthed artifacts, it is speculated that they are family tombs in the early Ming Dynasty. Among them, the tombs located in the southeast are rectangular arch roof brick chamber tombs, the arch roof collapsed and a small amount of murals remained.
The other two tombs in the north and southwest of the middle are square brick chamber tombs with pointed roofs. The murals on the four walls of the tomb are imitation wooden buildings such as panel doors and mullion windows, as well as decorative flowers and curtains. White stars are dotted above the roof, golden black is painted inside the red sun on the east wall, and jade rabbits are painted inside the white moon on the west wall, forming the scene of sun, moon and stars. The East and west sides of the tomb door are painted with a fork of hand saluting male waiter.
The two tombs are slightly different in size, bucket arch and roof style. The north wall of the tomb chamber in the north of the central part is built with “back Ming hall”, and the north wall of the tomb chamber in the southwest is painted with “door of Ming hall”. As the two tomb murals have the value of research, display and utilization, the cultural relics department has implemented an overall relocation of them.
In addition, archaeologists also found a brick octagonal Ming hall. There are 6 niches around the inner wall of the Mingtang hall, and 18 pieces of copper coins, copper mirrors and ceramics were unearthed. According to the unearthed artifacts, it is speculated that the age is the Ming Dynasty, which is used for sacrifice.
Zheng Yuan, vice president of Shanxi Institute of archaeology, said that the excavation of the family tomb in the early Ming Dynasty added relevant information and materials to the study of the funeral system in the same period and in the same region, as well as the ancient architecture in the early Ming Dynasty.
