The Joint Tomb of Huang Chengcun and His Wife

The Joint Tomb of Huang Chengcun and His Wife

The Joint Tomb of Huang Chengcun and His Wife is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Hunan Province.

The Joint Tomb of Huang Chengcun and His Wife

A Yuan Dynasty burial site. Located in Shuangqiao Village, Yuanling Town, Yuanling County. Excavated in 1985, it is the joint tomb of Huang Chengcun and his wife. The two burial chambers are separated by a wall constructed from lime mixed with sand and glutinous rice paste. Each burial set consists of double-layered coffins, with the panels of the coffins painted with dragon and phoenix motifs that are well-preserved. The occupant of Tomb No. 2 is male; his body has become a mummified corpse, standing 1.78 meters tall and estimated to have been 78 years old at death. A total of 133 funerary objects were unearthed, mostly textiles, including over 40 intact items such as clothing, mattresses, shoes, socks, and quilts, as well as bolts of silk, brocade, damask, and embroidery. Additionally, there were objects made of gold, silver, copper, lacquer, wood, and porcelain. Seven pieces of “Zhizheng Tongxing Baochao” paper currency were found in the female coffin, categorized as “Twenty Wen,” “Fifty Wen,” and “Three Hundred Wen,” all in relatively good condition. There were also two pieces of advertising packaging paper printed on coarse paper—these were promotional materials printed by a cinnabar-producing shop in Tanzhou (modern-day Changsha) during the Yuan Dynasty to advertise their products. According to wooden spirit tablets excavated from the site, the male tomb occupant, Huang Chengcun, served as a prefectural magistrate, was born in the first year of the Shaoding era of the Southern Song Dynasty (1228), and died in the ninth year of the Dade era of the Yuan Dynasty (1305). His wife, Lady Tan, was from Jiangxia. These two tombs yielded a collection of well-preserved clothing and large pieces of silk fabric, especially the paper money and advertisements, all of which are of great significance for the study of the silk industry, printing industry, commerce, and the development of currency in the Yuan Dynasty.

Yuanling Town: Yuanling Town borders Liangshuijing Town to the east, Maxipu Town to the south, Taichang Township to the west, and Eryou Township to the north. It serves as the political, economic, and cultural center of the entire county. The town features a mid-subtropical monsoon humid climate, characterized by distinct seasons, abundant heat, concentrated rainfall, short cold periods, and long hot seasons. The area is rich in mineral resources, including gold, copper, iron, and others. The town is home to more than 10 ethnic groups, including Han, Manchu, Hui, and Miao. With a current population of 135,000 and covering an area of 218.04 square kilometers, the town governs 25 village (residential) committees, including 15 community residential committees... For more detailed information about Yuanling Town ++