Chengguan Tomb Cluster

Chengguan Tomb Cluster

Chengguan Tomb Cluster is a cultural relic protection unit of Tianjin Municipality.

Chengguan Tomb Cluster

Era: Warring States, Han, Tang, Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming, Qing

Location: Chengguan Town, Jixian County

Category: Ancient Tombs

The Xiaomaozhuang Tomb Cluster, located in Xiaomaozhuang, Chengguan Town, originally had several earthen mounds, the tallest being over 3 meters, which have since been leveled. The surface has yielded numerous fragments of rope-patterned bricks and gray earthenware shards. In 1991, more than 60 tombs were excavated over an area of about 1,000 square meters, comprising both vertical pit graves and brick-chambered tombs. Artifacts unearthed included pottery jars, urns, boxes, pots, cups, and Wu Zhu coins. In 2002, a second archaeological excavation covered an area of 43,154 square meters, revealing 94 tombs dating from the Han Dynasty to the Ming and Qing periods. Of these, 79 were Han tombs, mostly single-chamber vertical pit graves, yielding painted pottery and bronze ware — rarely seen in previous Han tomb excavations. A third excavation in 2004 discovered seven ancient tombs, including a Eastern Han tomb with a mixed brick-and-stone structure and pictorial stone slabs, the first such find in Tianjin. This tomb measured 22.8 meters in total length from north to south, with the widest part of the chamber being 8.6 meters from east to west, oriented precisely north–south.

Within the Cuidianzi Han Tomb area, pottery pots and Wu Zhu coins have been excavated. In 1987, the tomb of Ming Dunxin in Chengguan Town, Jixian County, was excavated. Its surface mound had been leveled and it consisted of a passage and a burial chamber. One epitaph box was found along with a purchased land charm, grey ring sword, and other items. In 2003, an archaeological excavation of the Cuidianzi Ancient Tomb Cluster (Fuyu Jiayuan residential area) uncovered nearly 100 tombs from the Warring States, Han, and Ming–Qing periods, along with over 200 artifacts and more than 500 coins. The Warring States tombs were all small rectangular pit graves, while the Han tombs were all vertical pit graves. This excavation also yielded the earliest glass ornaments discovered in Tianjin.

Within the Xiguan Han Tomb Cluster area, archaeological surveys and excavations were carried out in 2001. Over a range of nearly 7,000 square meters, 63 tombs from different periods, 4 ancient kilns, and 4 ash pits were discovered, yielding nearly 1,000 artifacts of various periods including pottery, porcelain, gilded items, silverware, ironware, copperware, leadware, jade, and lacquerware. There were three Warring States tombs, all pit graves, two of which contained bronze ritual vessels. There were 15 Han tombs, with types including brick-chambered tombs, stone-piled tombs, and child urn burials; the brick-chambered ones varied from single to double chambers, some with side chambers. The stone-piled tombs were rectangular, simply built with river pebbles. Eleven Tang tombs were all brick-chambered and could be divided into round, arc-square, rectangular, and boat-shaped types. Three Liao tombs were brick-chambered, either round or octagonal. Thirty-one tombs from the Qing Dynasty to the Republican period included 10 joint burials of couples, all simple pit graves with wooden coffins belonging to commoners. The ancient kilns dated to the Tang Dynasty and came in bun-shaped and oval forms, small in scale, likely used by residents to fire everyday utensils.

The Dongguan Tomb Site, located outside the east gate of Chengguan, dates to the Ming Dynasty. Within a 50-square-meter area, three brick-chambered tombs were found, all oriented east–west, each 2 meters long and 1 meter wide, covered with stone slabs. Artifacts included rings and coins.

Within the Qilifeng Han Tomb area, Han architectural remains were excavated for the first time in April 2002, unearthing 16 Han stone carvings.

Excavation at the Dongdajing Ancient Tomb Site took place in 2002. Within an 80,000-square-meter requisitioned area, 79 Han tombs, 28 Ming–Qing tombs, 3 Shang–Zhou kilns, 29 Han ash pits, and 3 wells were cleared, yielding over 1,500 artifacts. Most Han tombs were oriented north–south and varied in form, mainly including brick-chambered (single and multi-chamber), brick-coffined, and stone-chambered types. Western Han tombs were mostly vertical pit graves, while Eastern Han ones were predominantly brick-chambered, often featuring sloped passageways. Tomb M106B is the largest vertical pit grave of the Western Han discovered in Tianjin so far, and both M109 and M106B are the first Han tombs with accompanying chariot and horse pits found in the region. Key information was obtained for the first time regarding tomb construction, burial methods, backfilling, anti-theft measures, and the arrangement of burial goods.

The Dule Temple Tomb Site, situated beneath the northeast corner city wall of the county town, covers an area of about 1,000 square meters. Originally home to a stupa, long destroyed, it previously yielded epitaphs and tomb stones. Currently preserved are the tomb stone of Master Jizhao from the second year of the Shouchang era of the Liao Dynasty (1096), the tomb stone of Shan Cheng from the 14th year of the Dading era of the Jin Dynasty (1174), the inscription “Shangzuo Qinggong Lingta” from the same year, and the “Jin Dynasty Jizhou Dule Temple Former Shangzuo Zhen Gong Baota Ming” from the first year of Chongqing (1212).

The Gulou South Street Site was excavated in 2004 over an area of nearly 4,000 square meters. Stratigraphic layers from the Tang and Liao periods had been heavily disturbed by later activities, but foundations of Liao buildings and relatively intact brick drainage channels from the Jin and Yuan periods were found. A large quantity of artifacts was unearthed, primarily ceramics. Well-preserved row-style building foundations from the Ming and Qing periods, characteristic of commercial shops, were also discovered, along with numerous blue-and-white porcelains, pottery, jade, and coins. This excavation revealed stratified deposits from the Tang–Liao, Jin–Yuan, Ming–Qing, and Republican periods, continuing to the present day, providing crucial physical evidence for studying the urban history of ancient Jizhou.

The inevitable connection between the Chengguan Tomb Cluster and the ancient city of Jizhou gives this area significant research value. Distributed throughout the ancient city and its surroundings, the study of these tombs plays an irreplaceable role in understanding the history, culture, material life, and urban development of ancient Jizhou.

This area boasts a rich array of tomb remains spanning a long timeframe and diverse types, some of which were found in Tianjin for the first time. From the Neolithic Age through the Qing Dynasty and Republican period — covering thousands of years — tomb structures varied in each era. Bronze tombs from the Warring States, round brick-chambered tombs from the Tang, octagonal tombs from the Liao, vertical pit graves with horse-and-chariot pits from the Han, and mixed brick-and-stone tombs with pictorial stones from the Eastern Han — all represent the first such discoveries in Tianjin archaeology, holding exceptional research value.

Within the Chengguan Tomb Cluster area, architectural remains from the Han Dynasty were excavated for the first time in Tianjin, unearthing 16 Han stone carvings. These exquisitely crafted and vivid carvings are extremely rare even in national Han tomb archaeology, filling a significant gap in the city’s archaeological record.

Blending of northern and southern cultures with distinct local features. Bronze ritual vessels from the Central Plains of the Warring States coexist with short bronze swords bearing the characteristics of the Shanrong culture; brick-chambered Han tombs exist alongside stone-piled ones; Tang tombs yield many sand-tempered simple jars with wave or geometric patterns on the necks. These burial customs reflect the uninterrupted cultural exchange between north and south in the Yan Mountain region from the Warring States through the Tang and Liao periods, all while retaining distinctive local characteristics.