Undisturbed Tang Dynasty Tomb

In May 2009, an undisturbed tomb from the early eighth century was discovered near Fujiagou Village, in Lingtai County, Gansu province. Scholarly analysis of the tomb is incomplete and little about it has been published, but this find again demonstrates the persistence, continuity, and adaptation of foreign influences in ancient Chinese burial practices. The tomb was built on the single-chamber plan like those of Song Shaozu and Lou Rui, which date from centuries earlier. Fifty burial objects, including mingqi and such artifacts of daily life as a bronze mirror and coins, remained in their original positions. The tianwang (Heavenly Kings) still stood guard by the chamber entrance, and the flamboyantly sculpted zhenmushou (tomb guardian beasts) looked out from their places in front of the coffin to ward off evil.