Excavating the Afterlife
IMAGES
The burial at Yinshan in Shaoxing City, Zhejiang, fifth century BCE, one of the earliest instances of a tomb conceived as an underground house.
A group of wooden lacquer vessels in the waterlogged southern compartment during the excavation of Tomb 2 at Jiuliandun, Zaoyang City, Hubei. Warring States period. Hubei Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology.
Wooden figurines excavated from Tomb 1 at Mawangdui, Changsha City, Hunan. Early Western Han dynasty.
Painted clay figurines in one of the niches on the long passageway in Beidongshan in Xuzhou City, Jiangsu. Western Han dynasty.
Winged beast discovered in King Cuo’s tomb at Sanji in Pingshan County, Hebei. H. 24 cm, L. 40 cm; weight 11.45 kg. Middle Warring States period. Hebei Provincial Museum.
Bronze lamp excavated from Tomb 2 at Wangshan, Jiangling County, Hubei. H. 19.2 cm. Warring States period. Hubei Provincial Museum.
Square lacquered, wooden wine vessel excavated from Tomb 2 at Jiuliandun, Zaoyang City, Hubei (M2: E37). H. 79.2 cm. Warring States period. Hubei Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology.
Painted wooden figurine, with a long braided wig and red cinnabar lipstick, excavated from Tomb 2 at Jiuliandun, Zaoyang City, Hubei (M2: N384). H. 69.5 cm. Warring States period. Hubei Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology.
Painted wooden figurine, with a long braided wig and red cinnabar lipstick, excavated from Tomb 2 at Jiuliandun, Zaoyang City, Hubei (M2: N384). H. 69.5 cm. Warring States period. Hubei Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology.