Research On Mural Tombs Of The Wei & Jin Dynasties And The Sixteen Kingdoms Period

In 1944, the first tomb with murals was found in Dunhuang along the Hexi Corridor of Gansu Province. During nearly past sixty years, 49 tombs with large number of murals of the Wei&Jin Dynasties and the Sixteen Kingdoms Period distributed in the area west of Wuwei and east of Dunhuang had been found in the Hexi Corridor. This article presents a comprehensive research in three aspects about this issue. First, we will make an analysis on the basis of the regional distribution of, stages to which these mural tombs of the Wei&Jin Dynasties and the Sixteen Kingdoms Period and their brick facade belong by the methods of archaeology and typology. The zoning study can help us to analyze the regional difference of mural tombs' modality, and get a clear clue of the traditional characteristics and forms of mural tombs in Jiuquan and Dunhuang. We try to tell the change of the form of the mural tombs from the views of the prospering and declining of the regional tradition, and further to judge the period of those tombs without date-related inscriptions and also the reason of change of the regional tradition. Four tombs of the Western Liang Dynasty are confirmed and the characteristics of mural tombs of the Sixteen Kingdoms Period in the Hexi Corridor are summarized. At the same time, a chronological framework of mural tombs of the Wei&Jin Dynasties and the Sixteen Kingdoms Period in the Hexi Corridor is established which reveals the trace of the changing of the mural tombs and its historical reasons. Second, we also make a comprehensive study on murals in these tombs concerns first of all setting up a base on which images on the murals can be classified and explained clearly. The murals are divided into five groups according to the themes: life in the heaven, becoming immortals, paradise and auspicious things, earthly life and possessions of the tomb owner, tomb guardians, cloud designs. Then, analyze the rule of disposition of the murals, and show the relationship between images on murals and the location of murals in the tomb by combine the image interpretation and rule of mural's disposition. And try to explain the content of the murals by taking image datas of the Han Dynasty and concerned historical records as references and correct the misunderstood explanations. And also make a careful textual research on painted image of silk, silk fabric, daily necessities and cosmetics containers and round circles on the murals found in the rear chambers of mural tombs in Jiuquan based on the unearthed paintings with names on and related literatures, then find their meaning. Finally, analyze the painting style of the murals which is important for our understanding of the changes of it. Third, in this article, we will also try to discuss the influence of the mural tombs of the Wei& Jin Dynasties and the Sixteen Kingdoms Period in the Hexi Corridor through the archaeological finds. The major points of its influence are: the relationship between these mural tombs and that the in Central Plains and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Prefecture; the relationship between these tombs and that of the Northern Wei Dynasty through comparison. The research shows that the form of tomb and theme of mural in tombs of the Han Dynasty in the Central Plains exert direct influence upon the mural tombs of the Wei&Jin Dynasties and Sixteen Kingdoms Period in the Hexi Corridor. New form of tomb came into being in the Hexi Corridor in the Sixteen Kingdoms Period, which related closely with the changing of the political power in this region. The tombs in the Hexi Corridor and that in Turpan of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Prefecture share similarities because culture of Hexi Corridor influences that of Turpan. And we find that the paved ways of the emperor's mausoleums of the Northern Wei Dynasty in Datong and Longyang are same as that in the Hexi Corridor, the same pave ways can be found in the tombs of Northern Qi Dynasty; and then analyze their relationship. We get a clear result of the origin and the influence of mural tombs of the Wei& Jin Dynasties and the Sixteen Kingdoms Period in the Hexi Corridor.