Tomb of Yao Tan

Tomb of Yao Tan

The Tomb of Yao Tan is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Tomb of Yao Tan is located in the northern section of Jianshe Avenue in Guangzhou. It was excavated in 1954. The tomb is a rectangular brick structure with a vaulted ceiling, featuring grayish-black, undecorated bricks. It measures 3.52 meters in length, 1.2 meters in width, and 1.15 meters in height. The bottom of the tomb is paved with bricks. The coffin, originally placed in the middle-rear section, has decayed, leaving only fragments of iron coffin nails. The skeleton has also deteriorated, with only two teeth remaining—one of which has a small thin gold foil attached. In the front section of the chamber, there is a pair of white porcelain bowls, a cosmetic box, and several glazed pottery jars with four handles. A tomb epitaph is erected vertically beneath the right arched wall. In the rear section of the chamber, there is a double-handled glazed pottery jar. The unearthed white porcelain bowl has a clean white body, with visible knife marks from turning on the exterior, a foot ring, and belongs to the Xing kiln system—it is the only one of its kind found in Tang dynasty tombs in Guangzhou. The gold foil attached to the deceased’s tooth is an example of ancient Chinese tooth gilding, confirming historical records that Tang bureaucrats and dandies indeed had the custom of gilding their teeth. The epitaph is made of brick, bluish-gray and slightly soft, measuring 35.5 cm in height and 36 cm in width. The inscription is in regular script, divided into 14 lines. It records that the tomb owner, Yao Tan, was the eldest daughter of Ti Yi, the Chief Clerk of the Guangzhou Protectorate during the Tang Dynasty. She passed away on the 27th day of the 12th month in the 11th year of the Dazhong era (857) at the age of 25, and was buried on the 13th day of the 2nd month in the 12th year of Dazhong in the southern fields by the Ganxi stream.