Tombs of the sixteen kingdoms period near Xi'an, Shaanxi province, China: brief overview

The article provides an overview of the most important burial sites of the Sixteen Barbarian States period (304-439), explored in the area of Xi’an City, Shaanxi Province, China, including the tomb near the village of Caochangpo in the southern suburbs of Xi’an, cemetery of the Zhu family clan dated back to the period of the Former Qin (351-395) in Wenlin Community of Xianyang City, tomb M1 in Pinling Township, Xianyang City, and Shaolingyuan cemetery in the southern suburbs of Xi’an. Main structural features of burial complexes of this period and region have been identified. These tombs were cut in the ground with one or more chambers with the domed vault and long sloping dromos, and were oriented along north-south. Stable set of burial inventory includes ceramic candelabra lamps, bronze and iron mirrors, and numerous and varied items of funerary small statuary: figurines of warriors, servants and musicians, combat horses, domestic animals, as well as replicas of chariots, granaries and wells. Sets of painted ceramic figurines forming a “mounted military band” and painted models of buildings carved from the soil in the upper part of the dromos can be considered to be specific markers of burials of the Sixteen Barbarian States period in Shaanxi Province. Despite a significant number of studied tombs, the complexes which could be correlated with representatives of the so-calledfive barbarian tribes: the Xiongnu, Jie, Di, Qiangs, and Xianbei have not yet been identified. The most promising alley for further research is detailed study of ceramic funerary figurines.