The Early Medieval China Group was formed to promote and further the study and understanding of the Early Medieval period in East Asia. The group provides a channel of communication between all those interested in early medieval China and facilitates the exchange of ideas and promotion of scholarly cooperation in this field.
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In Chenzhou 郴州, Hubei, archaeologists excavated 11 tombs that date from the Han to the Tang, as well as an Eastern Han house foundation. Three of the tombs date to the Eastern Han, six to the Eastern Jin or Southern Dynasties, and two to the Tang. Two of the Eastern Han tombs (M1 & M10) had brick chambers, while the other was a vertical earthen pit tomb. M10 was relatively well preserved. Both of these tombs were relatively large, shaped like the character 中, and had a front and rear chamber. As for grave goods, M10 had an iron knife, iron nails, a bronze mirror, bronze coins, and bronze belt hooks, as well as pottery vessels and model mingqi 明器, such as a pig pen, stove, and house. Since M1 had been heavily looted most of the grave goods were badly damaged, but the pottery vessels and models had a thin layer of green glaze on them. The six Eastern Jin or Southern Dynasties tombs are relatively small single-chamber tombs, which were either much looted or heavily damaged. M11 has a brick coffin bed, while M8 and M9 have dated materials in them. One has an inscription that reads 永和三年 (347), while the other has the following inscription: 义熙十年 (414). M9 had a couple of celadon vessels. The two Tang tombs are also smallish single-chamber tombs. Those tombs primarily had porcelain vessels. M2's grave goods were in relatively good shape. It had six porcelain vessels, two of which were probably Changsha-ware.
In Datong, Shanxi, archaeologists uncovered a Northern Wei grave that contained a joint burial within a single coffin. What is distinctive about this burial is that the man and woman have been arranged in a loving embrace. Although other examples of this kind of burial have been found in Northern Wei tombs, this is the best preserved example of embracing skeletons. The male is facing left, his right hand is on the woman's waist. She is facing right, her head pillowed on the male skeleton's shoulder. Her left hand is placed on his chest. Her ring finger on her left hand has a plain, silver-colored ring. The right shoulder of the male skeleton had been infected and fractured and had not healed at the time of death.