The Study On The Phenomenon Of "Gold Decoration Tomb Owners" Discovered By Archaeology In Northern China From The Warring States To Liao Dynasty

There was a special funeral phenomenon among the 13 high-grade tombs found in the northern region of China during the period from the Warring States to Liao Dynasty,which was decorated with gold on the head,upper body,lower body,foot,or on the clothes of the tomb in order to show the wealth,noble identity and authority of the tomb’s owner.It has been called “gold-decorated tomb owners” phenomenon.Among these tombs’ owners included the Rong royal family,the Chief of the Xiongnu tribe,the upper nobility of the ancient western regions,the Upper nobility of the Su Te and the royal family of the Liao Dynasty.This phenomenon originated from the Eurasian grassland region and lasted for a long time in the northern region according to related researches.This cultural phenomenon remains relics and relevant materials provide a new perspective for the study of ethnic integration in ancient China,the Silk Road and foreign exchanges at the same time it enriched the contents of Chinese ancient funeral culture.This paper is intended to have a probe into the phenomenon of “gold-decorated tomb owners” as a special subject,which was for the first time research about the 13 tombs as a whole.The entire "gold-decorated tomb owners" tombs can divided into three periods,before the Han dynasty,during the Han to Jin dynasties,and during the Sui to Liao dynasties.And it takes the 13 tombs found in 4 archaeological sites in northern China as a starting point to discuss the origin and development of this phenomenon as well as specific changes since Han Dynasty.Before Han Dynasty,the numbers of gold ornaments on the body of tomb owners were large and small.Mainly focused on the upper body(including clothes and body).The pattern type mainly about animals for the factors of Eurasian steppe.During the Han to Wei dynasties,the numbers of gold ornaments were significantly decreased and decorations were concentrated on the front of the clothes.From Sui to Liao Dynasties,the numbers of gold ornaments increased meanwhile the gold decoration appeared.The dragon and phoenix patterns appeared which had the characteristics of distinct cultural factors in the central plains.The study of this phenomenon contributed to have a deeper understanding of the cultural exchanges between China and the West,as well as the mutual cultural reference and learning among different ethnic groups in the historical process of the unified multi-ethnic country.