In recent days, a hot news about Xi'an has caused widespread discussion in cultural circles. On April 13, the "Top Ten New Archaeological Discoveries in China in 2020" were announced in Beijing, and the "Sixteen Kingdoms Tomb of Shaoling Plain in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province" finally ranked among the top ten.

Uncovering the Tomb of the Sixteen Kingdoms

This magnificent Tomb of the Sixteen Kingdoms is located on Shaoling Plain in Xi'an. A total of three high-level tombs have been excavated, and burial objects such as murals, earthen carved buildings and painted pottery figurines have been unearthed. The Tomb of the Sixteen Kingdoms in Shaoling Plain is of great significance for the study of funeral customs and social and cultural life during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. It also provides important data for the study of cultural and ideological exchanges among various ethnic groups in the context of ethnic integration.

An important part of the development of the Chinese nation

After the Western Jin Dynasty, China entered the period of great division of the sixteen states of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. Among them, the Eastern Jin Dynasty was established when the Sima royal family moved south, and parallel with it was the Five Hu and Sixteen Kingdoms established in the north. The "Five Hu" refers to the five ethnic minorities, including the Xiongnu and Xianbei. These Hu people gradually developed and developed during the turbulent period, taking advantage of the civil strife to destroy the Western Jin Dynasty and establish a country in the north. Among them, the more powerful ones were Qianliang, Chenghan, Qianzhao, and Houzhao. There were sixteen countries, so this period was called the "Sixteen Countries".

The Sixteen Kingdoms of the Eastern Jin Dynasty were in the midst of a period of great division in Chinese history. It was a very special historical period that spanned the Western Jin Dynasty and started the Southern and Southern Dynasties. It was also a critical period for the integration and unified development of our country's multi-ethnic groups.

Xi'an Shaoling Plateau with a profound background

The Tomb of the Sixteen Kingdoms originates from Shaoling Plain, connecting Chang 'an in the north and Zhongnan in the south. It has a superior geographical location and beautiful scenery. It is a popular place for sleeping by emperors of past dynasties. First of all, Emperor Xuan of the Han Dynasty built Du Mausoleum here in the early Western Han Dynasty, which greatly enhanced the popularity of Shaoling Plain and inspired many royal relatives, princes and ministers in later generations to follow suit and build tombs here. Secondly, Shaoling Plain has high terrain and deep loess, making it very convenient to build tombs. This place not only overlooks Chang 'an, but also facilitates tomb cleaning. During the Sixteen Kingdoms period, the former Zhao, the former Qin and the later Qin countries all established their capitals in Chang 'an City. It is not surprising that the royal families and nobles of these three countries were buried in Fengshui treasures such as Shaoling Plain. This is why large-scale tombs of the Sixteen Kingdoms can be excavated in Shaoling Plain. The reason.

The first ethnic integration

Although the sixteen states of the Eastern Jin Dynasty were in civil strife, they all showed a good trend of integrated development in military, cultural, religious and other fields. The most remarkable feature of this period was the great integration of ethnic groups. In the late 16th Kingdom, the northern grasslands were occupied by emerging ethnic groups such as Rouran, and most of the five Hu people remained in the Central Plains after integrating into Han culture. During this period, the Han people in the Central Plains migrated southward on a large scale and integrated with the Han people in the south, Shanyue people, etc.

The shape, structure and unearthed burial objects of the Sixteen-Kingdom Tomb in Shaoling Plain have the characteristics of both the traditional Han culture of the Central Plains and the cultural characteristics of the Hu people in the north. It provides rich historical relics for studying the great integration of ethnic groups during this period. This tomb also vividly displays the influence of ethnic minority cultures in the Han cultural area, reflecting the historical evolution of Chinese civilization from diversity to integration.