Eternal love locked in an embrace and sealed with a ring: A Xianbei couple's joint burial in North Wei era, China (386–534 CE)

Abstract

Love as an important part of human emotion has been depicted in literature, folklore, and art since ancient China. However, in archaeological settings, direct skeletal evidence for love is rare. A joint burial from North Wei Dynasty (386-534 CE) was reported, in which skeletons of an adult male and an adult female were found placed in loving embrace posture with a ring in situ on the left ring finger of the female, displaying the desire for eternal love of the couple, and the respect to their love by people who buried them as well. It is likely that the wife sacrificed herself to be buried with her dead husband, though other scenarios could not be ruled out. The free expression and active pursuit of love in Chinese culture became prominent during the first millennium. This funerary practice might have been influenced by the customs from the Western Regions and beyond through the Silk Roads and the Sinicization and assimilation of the Xianbei people. This discovery is a unique display of human emotion of love in a burial, offering a rare glimpse people's views towards love, life, death, and afterlife in northern China during a time of intense cultural and ethnic exchange.

First case of juvenile primary bone malignant neoplasm in ancient China: A skeleton from the Northern Wei Dynasty (386–534 CE)

“…Except for the left femur and patella, there were no bone abnormalities in M799. This primary bone neoplasm was apparently the primary cause of the death of this juvenile, who was buried according to the funeral norms characteristic for the time period and area during the Northern Wei Dynasty, where other evidence the “tenderness of burial” (i.e., a male and a female were buried in loving embrace) was found (Q. Zhang et al, in press).…”

“…The Xianbei were initially nomadic pastoralists on the Mongolian plateau. They entered and ruled North China during 386–439 CE, adopting the Han Chinese culture and customs through self‐imposed sinicization and assimilation (Frankopan, 2016; Tsiang, 2010; R. Z. Wang, 2015; Q. Zhang et al, in press).…”

“…The individual of interest in this study was buried in a rectangular pit grave, with a pottery vessel and a lime pillow (Figure 2a). As the lime pillow was a typical grave good for people of Xianbei origin (Qiao, 2015; Z. X. Wang, 1960; Xv & Sun, 1985; Q. Zhang et al, in press), it was believed that this individual belonged to the Xianbei population.…”