Mianyang Qin Tombs

Mianyang Qin Tombs

The Mianyang Qin Tombs are a cultural tourism attraction.

In the winter of 1978, during the construction of the Mianyang local railway, four tombs were excavated and cleared on the northern ridge of Guanzhuang, about 1.5 kilometers northeast of the county town. A large number of cultural relics were unearthed. Analysis and identification by the provincial museum and the local cultural departments concluded that these are Qin Dynasty tombs.

Among the four tombs, one is relatively well-preserved while the other three were damaged. In the well-preserved tomb, no human remains were found. Based on the unearthed lacquered round box and the three characters “‖(two) Xiaofei” stamped inside the ring-foot, it is inferred that this might be a joint burial tomb of a husband and wife. A total of 42 funerary objects were unearthed from this tomb. Among them, there were 20 bronze items, including two bi discs, two pots, three garlic-head pots, one round casket, and two spoons; and 17 lacquerware pieces. All of these lacquer items were made of wooden cores, with exquisite and beautiful shapes, sturdy and solid structures, and most featured painted designs and inscribed symbols. There were also five jade artifacts, including four bi discs and one belt hook. The belt hook is made of white jade in a rhombus shape, with both the hook head and tail crafted into dragon-headed serpent mouths. The mouth, nose, eyes, and ears are finely carved, giving it a vivid form. The entire piece is adorned with interlocking thunder patterns and is 19 centimeters long, divided into ten sections, connected by a flat metal rod in the middle. Each section can move independently, with individual sections measuring 1–4 centimeters in length—truly a rare treasure, seldom seen among the unearthed artifacts.

Based on the analysis of the unearthed artifacts, it is concluded that these four tombs are Qin Dynasty tombs for the following reasons: 1) The shapes and decorative patterns of the unearthed bronze and lacquerware closely resemble those of the bronze items found in Tomb No. 11 at the Qin Tomb site in Shuihudi, Yunmeng, Hubei. 2) The bronze ding and lacquered box bear inscriptions indicating years such as “the 28th year,” “the 33rd year,” “the 35th year,” and “the 37th year,” which are similar to the Qin Dynasty’s method of dating. 3) The inscription on the bronze ding uses “yi” as a unit of measurement, a standardized unit implemented after the Qin unified the six states.

As for the occupant of the better-preserved tomb, the situation is more complex. The inscriptions on the unearthed artifacts mention “Lord Ping’an,” “Marquis Ping’an,” and “Ping’an State.” The relationship between these titles is worth further exploration. Historical records show that there are no records of noble titles such as “Lord Ping’an” or “Marquis Ping’an” in the Qin Dynasty. So, were the deceased buried in this tomb considered a “lord” or “marquis” of the Qin? Experts speculate that the tomb owner had military merit. After the Qin conquered Qi, he was granted a fiefdom known as Ping’an State (or Marquisate), where he received a hereditary estate. He was later buried in Nanyang Commandery (Mianyang was under the jurisdiction of Nanyang Commandery at the time).