Han Tombs Cluster

Han Tombs Cluster

The Han Tombs Cluster is a cultural tourism attraction.

Introduction:

Located near the residential area of the Pingshuo Open-Pit Coal Mine in Shuozhou City. Over 800 Han Dynasty tombs have been excavated. The tombs are densely distributed and come in various types, including vertical pits, cave chambers, brick-chambered tombs, and wooden-chambered coffins, with diverse designs for tomb passages and burial chambers. Most of the individuals buried here belonged to the Wang and Tai families, and many tombs contained a single coffin and outer coffin. The tombs yielded pottery, bronze ware, jade artifacts, lacquerware, and other daily utensils, as well as precious funerary objects. Among the unearthed relics is a “Hundred Nipples Mirror” with an 18-centimeter diameter. The nipples on the mirror surface are densely clustered like twinkling stars, making it a fine example of Han Dynasty bronze mirrors. In addition, there are four types of bronze incense burners, a turtle-and-crane Bosan furnace, and a well-preserved chessboard, all of which hold considerable artistic and historical research value. According to archaeologists, the most precious artifact among the finds is an elaborately crafted and vividly shaped “Pelican Holding a Fish Lamp.” The entire lamp is cast in bronze and shaped like a pelican standing while holding a fish in its beak. When the lamp is lit, smoke rises and enters a tube connecting the fish and the pelican, where it condenses into soot and is directed into the pelican’s body and dissolves in water. The fact that such a lamp, designed to eliminate smoke pollution, was created over 2,000 years ago during the Han Dynasty is truly remarkable. Weapons make up a significant proportion of the artifacts unearthed from the tomb cluster.

Shuozhou City, Shanxi Province