The Changing Pattern of Burial Construction in Early Imperial China

A talk by YANG ZHEFENG (Peking University)

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Duration: 57:29

According to archaeological evidence, the traditional burial structure in the pre-Qin Chinese world was characterized by its wooden chamber constructed within vertical/shaft pits. However, tombs in the Han dynasty were often built of brick or stone, and some burial chambers are even constructed inside earthen catacombs or caves cut from rock. Mortuary practice also changed dramatically. How did those big changes happen? Professor Yang will discuss this issue from a macroscopic approach, based on the archaeological data, and present a dynamic picture of various changes in burial construction throughout the territory of the Han empire.

Yang Zhefeng (PhD in Archaeology, Peking University, 2005) is associate professor in the Department of Archaeology, Peking University. He is a specialist in the archaeology of the Han dynasty.

Center for Chinese Studies

Published: Friday, April 10, 2009

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