The article presents materials of An Jia tomb, one of the early medieval Sogdian burials in China. A description of the burial complex is offered, descriptions of the painted reliefs of the stone burial couch and a stone panel above the tomb door, as well as the complete commented translation of the epitaph of the deceased are provided. Two versions of interpretation of stone reliefs’ semantics are proposed: an idealized report on the earthly life to higher powers or ideas about the afterlife. The identification of specific features of the funerary rite, the stylistic and semantic analysis of images on reliefs in comparison with epigraphic data confirm the thesis about the syncretic nature of the studied complex, which combined elements of the Zoroastrian, Confucian, and Buddhist religious and worldview traditions.
The article presents the results of the excavation and studying of the materials from the Jinlianshan graveyard in Yuxi prefecture-level city (Yunnan Province, PRC). The significant part of the site belongs to the late period of Dian Culture (other name: Shizhaishan Culture), which, according to the found bronze coins and seal, dates from the end of 2 nd century BC to the beginning of 1 st century AD. The site was a cemetery of the population with a complex organization and social differentiation, and probably had close ties with the nearby settlement of Xueshan. Two aristocratic graves, as well as burials of representatives of the middle and lower social strata were identified in its composition. Bronze and bimetallic weapons were found in about half of the male graves, which probably indicate that during their lifetime the deceased were part of the local militia. An important feature of this cemetery is the abundance of bone remains of the dead, including those in the secondary burials, which is generally not typical for graveyards of the Dian Culture. The reasons for this characteristic feature are not entirely clear, and data from further morphological and paleogenetic anthropological analysis are needed to determine them. These prove to be opportunities for future research. At the same time, it should be emphasized that the information already obtained provides a solid basis for a more detailed reconstruction of the Dian culture, and the overall picture of the ethno-cultural development of Greater Southeast Asia, as well. Keywords PRC, Yunnan province, Dong Son -Dian civilization, Dian State, Jinlianshan, burial site, funeral fashion Acknowledgments This study was carried out with support of the Russian Scientific Foundation (RSF), project no. 23-28-00820, https://rscf.ru/en/project/23-28-00820 For citation Komissarov S. A., Solovyev A. I. The Jinlianshan Graveyard and Its Role in the Study of the Dong Son -Dian Civilization.
The article presents the results of the study on staurographic material of the XVII–XVIII centuries from the settlement of Kulakovo III, a site that can presumably be identified with the village of Korchuganovo marked in the “Drafting Book (Atlas) of Siberia” by S. Remezov. The study introduces a collection of 26 metal baptismal crosses into scientific use; the authors offer a detailed description, typological characteristics and chronological attributions of the Christian cult objects under analysis, as well as identify their analogues in published studies. Most of the crosses discussed belong to type 4 according to the classification developed by V. I. Molodin, which is based on the materials of Eastern Siberia (Ilimsk stockaded town). These are specimens with detailed iconography and elements complementing the outline of the object – rays radiating from the cross bars, twin volutes surrounding the cross bars like a "wreath" or "tongues of flame" along the edges of the lower blade, etc. Morphological and iconographic analysis of the crosses indicates their individuality. The range of analogies to the crosses from Kulakovo III includes materials from northern and north-eastern Russia, which confirms the data from written sources about the initial territories of the migration of the Russian population in the Tom’ region.
The article investigates the problem of the so-called portraiture of personages presented in the terracotta army of the First Qin emperor. The results of analytical work of foreign colleagues were explored (namely, on restoration of the full spectrum of paints on the surface of the clay figures, or comparative studies of the forms of terracotta soldiers’ ears because this part of the human face is absolutely unique and therefore used in modern forensic practice for identification purposes). On the base of visual analyses of the material that could be obtained, taking into account the serial production of the big details (torsos, feet, heads) for assembling of the whole figures, as well as traces of the different instruments on faces of these figures, and after personal experience in working with elastic materials such as clay, the authors proposed a hypothesis that the reconstruction of face details (ears, noses, eyebrows, mustaches, etc.) which complete the assemblage was of the same type of serial mass production. Occasional or intentional deformation of face details in the process of their fixation, supplemented with elements such as coiffures and accentuated sections of face hair served as a basis for visible diversity in the clay soldiers and officials. However, we cannot say much about the personal characteristics of the real representatives of Qin society. We see only a reproduction of the appropriate image, but not the distinct person in the emperor’s army or court. The observations received indicate sheer haste and even negligence in the work of the craftsmen during the final stages of constructing this enormous funeral complex that never reached the level of the preliminary plans.
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