Stone Carvings at the Beijiabian Tomb

Stone Carvings at the Beijiabian Tomb

The stone carvings of the unidentified tomb at Beijiabian are located in the fields of Beijiabian, Yaohua Subdistrict, Qixia District, Nanjing. Discovered in 1978, the unearthed stone artifacts from the same year include two column bases, two spirit way pillars, one cover stone, and one small stone beast. The two column bases are 6.5 meters apart. The eastern column base is intact, with carvings of two dragons on the stone pedestal. The western column retains remnants of the column capital, shaft, and base. The shaft features 24 rows of tile-patterned grooves, and the column capital bears partially legible inscriptions such as “Former Attendant-in-Ordinary and Central Pacifier of the Liang,” among others. The column base was originally split into two parts but was repaired after excavation. Plans were made to re-erect it on-site, but due to severe corrosion, it was reburied underground.

In 1979, a tomb was excavated at Zhoujiashan Lao Midian, about 1 kilometer from the stone carvings. The single-chamber brick tomb with a vaulted ceiling faced 176 degrees, and its burial objects had been damaged. Fifty-six artifacts were unearthed, including a stone epitaph, pottery, celadon ware, and bronze items. The epitaph consisted of four stone slabs, only one of which retained over 120 legible characters, while the texts on the other three were too eroded to decipher. Some experts suggest that this tomb may be the burial site of Xiao Wei. Based on archaeological findings and historical records, these stone carvings are likely from the tomb of Xiao Wei or Xiao Li of the Liang Dynasty. However, some scholars, based on skeletal analysis within the tomb, argue that it is not the tomb of Xiao Wei.

In the burial site preservation area of the unidentified Beijiabian tomb stone carvings in Qixia District, a ruin of a memorial archway structure dating back approximately 1,500 years was discovered. The structure is rectangular in shape, with a total length of about 30 meters, consisting of two individual archways on the east and west sides, with the spirit way passing through the middle. It is located about 800 meters north of the imperial mausoleum chamber. The base is constructed from blue bricks, surrounded by a brick-paved drainage area. The main body of the archway is built from compact yellow earth and rammed earth, with the lower part clad in brick walls. Although the top has collapsed, careful cleaning by archaeologists revealed carbonized beams and columns, rusted iron nails, and decorative tubular tiles, flat tiles, and tile ends adorned with various patterns.

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units