Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-g8jcs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T05:47:59.823Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Hepu Han tombs and the maritime Silk Road of the Han Dynasty

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 January 2015

Xiong Zhaoming
Xiong Zhaoming*
Affiliation:
Sichuan University, No. 24 South Section 1, Yihuan Road, Chengdu 610065, China; and Guangxi Institute of Cultural Relics Protection and Archaeology, 68 Keyuan Rd, Nanning 530003, China (Email: [email protected])
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The extensive cemetery at Hepu in southern China represents one of the best-preserved tomb complexes of the Han period. It contains many elaborate tombs with exotic luxury materials that testify to the status of Hepu as the home port of the maritime Silk Road. This trading network carried Chinese products (notably silks) by sea to kingdoms and communities of South and Southeast Asia, and was the southern counterpart to the more famous overland Silk Road through Central Asia. The materials found in the Hepu tombs demonstrate the range and geography of contacts, including semi-precious beads from India and ceramics from the Parthian empire. This far-flung trade network had major impacts both on southern China and on the other regions that it connected.

Keywords

Han DynastyHepu commanderyParthian empiremaritime Silk Roadimported goodsglasswarecarnelian beads
Type
Research
Information
Antiquity , Volume 88 , Issue 342 , December 2014 , pp. 1229 - 1243
Copyright
Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd. 2014

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

An, J. 1984. Zhongguo de zaoqi boli qimin [Early glass vessels of China]. Kaogu xuebao 1984(4): 413–48.Google Scholar
Begley, V. 1983. Arikamedu reconsidered. American Journal of Archaeology 87: 461–81.Google Scholar
Bennett, A.T.N. 2009. Gold in early Southeast Asia. ArcheoSciences 33: 99–107.Google Scholar
Biswas, A.K. 1994. Vaidurya, Marakata and other beryl family gem minerals: etymology and traditions in ancient India. Indian Journal of History of Science 29(2): 139–54.Google Scholar
Borell, B. 2009. Han period glass vessels from the Gulf of Tonking region: aspects of their technology, in Ignatiadou, D. & Antonaras, A. (ed.) Annales du 18e Congrès de l’Association Internationale pour l’Histoire du Verre: 491–96. Thessaloniki: Association Internationale pour l’Histoire du Verre.Google Scholar
Ceng, R. 1990. Shilun donghan weijin muzang zhong de duomian jinzhu yongtu jiqi yuanliu [The primary discussion of the purpose and source of the polyhedral golden beads]. Kaogu yu wenwu 1990(3): 85–87.Google Scholar
Chavannes, E. 1958 [1903]. Documents sur les Toukieu occidentaux. Translated by Feng Chengjun. Beijing: Zhonghua shuju.Google Scholar
Debevoise, N.C. 1934. Parthian pottery from Seleucia on the Tigris (University of Michigan Studies, Humanistic Series 32). Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.Google Scholar
Dong, J., Han, Y., Ye, J., Li, Q., Liu, S. & Gu, D.. 2012. In situ identification of gemstone beads excavated from tombs of the Han Dynasties in Hepu county, Guangxi Province, China using a portable Raman spectrometer. Unpublished manuscript.Google Scholar
Donkin, R.A. 1988. Beyond price: pearls and pearl-fishing: origins to the age of discoveries. Philadelphia (PA): American Philosophical Society.Google Scholar
Encyclopedia Britannica. 1999. Encyclopaedia Britannica (international Chinese edition, vol. 4). Beijing: Zhongguo dabaike quanshu.Google Scholar
Feng, C. 1998. Zhongguo nanyang jiaotongshi. Beijing: Shangwu yinshuguan.Google Scholar
Francis, P. 1991. Beadmaking at Arikamedu and beyond. World Archaeology 23: 28–43.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Glover, I. 1989. Early trade between India and Southeast Asia: a link in the development of a world trading system (Occasional Papers 16). Hull: Centre for South-East Asian Studies.Google Scholar
Glover, I. 1996. The Southern Silk Road: archaeological evidence for early trade between India and Southeast Asia, in Nandana Cīṭivongs (ed.) Ancient trades and cultural contacts in Southeast Asia: 57–94. Bangkok: Office of the National Culture Commission.Google Scholar
Guangxi Cultural Relics and Archaeological Writing Group. 1972. Guangxi Hepu xihan muguomu [Wooden-chambered tomb of the Western Han Dynasty in Hepu County, Guangxi]. Kaogu 1972(5): 20–30.Google Scholar
Guangxi Cultural Relics Working Party & Hepu Museum. 2003. Guangxi Hepu Jiuzhiling donghanmu [The Eastern Han Dynasty Hepu Jiuzhiling tomb in Guangxi]. Kaogu 2003(10): 74.Google Scholar
Guangxi Cultural Relics Working Party & Hepu Museum. 2006. Hepu Fengmenling hanmu 2003–2005 nian fajue baogao. Beijing: Kexue.Google Scholar
Guangxi Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology. 2012. Guangxi Hepu Liaowei donghan sanguomu fajue baogao [Excavation report of the tombs of the Eastern Han Dynasty and the Three-Kingdom Period at Liaowei village in Hepu County, Guangxi]. Kaogu xuebao 2012(4): 489–545.Google Scholar
Guangzhou Cultural Relics Management Committee & Guangdong Provincial Museum. 1981. Guangzhou hanmu [The Han tombs of Guangzhou]. Beijing: Wenwu.Google Scholar
Higham, C. 1996. The Bronze Age of Southeast Asia. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Huang, S., Xiong, Z. & Zhao, C.. 2013. Guangxi Hepuxian liaowei donghanmu chutu qingluyou taohu yanjiu [On the greenish-blue glazed pottery vase unearthed from the Eastern Han Tombs at Liaowei in Hepu County, Guangxi] 2013(8): 87–96.Google Scholar
Hunan Provincial Museum. 1960. Changsha Wulipai gumuzang qingli jianbao [Short excavation report of the Wulipai tomb in Changsha, Hunan]. Wenwu 1960(3): 48.Google Scholar
Ji, X. 2008. Zhongyin wenhua jiaoliushi. Beijing: Zhongguo shehui kexue.Google Scholar
Lin, Q. 1962 [1957]. A history of East Asian musical instruments. Translated by Qian Daosun. Beijing: Renmin yinyue.Google Scholar
Manguin, P.-Y., Mani, A. & Wade, G.. 2011. Early interactions between South and Southeast Asia: reflections on cross-cultural exchange. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.Google Scholar
Mei, J., Liu, G. & Chang, X.. 2002. Xinjiang dongbu diqu chutu zaoqi tongqi de chubu fenxi he yanjiu [Initial analysis and research of the early period bronze wares of the Eastern Region of Xinjiang]. Xiyu yanjiu 2: 7.Google Scholar
Nanjing Museum. 1981. Jiangsu Hanjiang Ganquan erhaomu [The tomb no. 2 of Hanjiang Ganquan, Jiangsu]. Wenwu 1981(11): 6.Google Scholar
Pryce, T.O., Bellina-Pryce, B. & Bennett, A.T.N.. 2006. The development of metal technologies in the Upper Thai-Malay Peninsula: initial interpretation of the archaeometallurgical evidence from Khao Sam Kaeo. Bulletin de l’Ecole Française d’Extréme-Orient 93: 295–315.Google Scholar
Shanghai jinbu shuju. 1912. Zhou Qufei’s Lingwaidaida. Shanghai: Shanghai jinbu shuju.Google Scholar
Shen, F. 1981. Bi liuli he Yindu baoshi maoyi [Bi liuli and the Indian gemstone trade]. Zhonghua wenshi luncong 4: 275–86.Google Scholar
Shen, F. 1998. Zhongguo yu Xiya Feizhou wenhua jiaoliu zhi. Shanghai: Shanghai renmin.Google Scholar
Theunissen, R., Grave, P. & Bailey, G.. 2000. Doubts on diffusion: challenging the assumed Indian origin of Iron Age agate and carnelian beads in Southeast Asia. World Archaeology 32: 84–105.Google Scholar
Wang, N. 1979. Jinning Shizhaishan qingtongqi tuxiang suojian gudai minzu kao [Textual research of the ancient ethnic minorities represented on the Jinning Shizhaishan bronze wares]. Kaogu xuebao 1979(4): 423–38.Google Scholar
Wheeler, R.E.M., Ghosh, A. & Deva, K.. 1946. Arikamedu: an Indo-Roman trading station on the east coast of India. Ancient India 2: 17–124.Google Scholar
Xia, N. 1974. Woguo chutude shihuade rouhong shisuizhu [China’s etched carnelian beads]. Kaogu 1974(6): 382–85.Google Scholar
Xiong, Z. & Li, Q.. 2011. Guangxi chutu handai boliqi de kaoguxue yu keji yanjiu. Beijing: Wenwu.Google Scholar
Yang, X. 2004. Handai yuhua xingxiang de fazhan jiqi yuanyin [Discussing the reason for the image ascending to heaven and becoming immortal development in Han Dynasty]. Nandu xuetan (Renwen shehui kexue xuebao) 2: 11–15.Google Scholar
Yao, A. 2008. Culture contact and social change along China’s ancient southwestern border, 900 BC–100 AD. Unpublished PhD dissertation, University of Michigan.Google Scholar
Yunnan Provincial Museum. 1959. Yunnan Jinning Shizhaishan gumuqun fajue baogao. Beijing: Wenwu.Google Scholar
Zhang, Z. 1982. Zhanguo zhi xihan shiqi Dianchi quyu faxian de xiya wenwu [Cultural relics of western Asia discovered at Warring States and Western Han sites in the Dianchi area]. Sixiang zhanxian 2: 82–87.Google Scholar
Zhonghua Shuju. 1959. Chen Shou’s Sanguozhi. Beijing: Zhonghua shuju.Google Scholar
Zhonghua Shuju. 1960. Wei Zheng’s Suishu. Beijing: Zhonghua shuju.Google Scholar
Zhonghua Shuju. 1962. Ban Gu’s Hanshu. Beijing: Zhonghua shuju.Google Scholar
Zhonghua Shuju. 1965. Fan Ye’s Houhanshu. Beijing: Zhonghua shuju.Google Scholar
Zhou, J. 2012. Sichou zhilu shang de tongbo [The bronze cymbals of the Silk Road]. Yueqi 2: 72.Google Scholar
Zhou, Y. 2008. Shanhaijing Kunlunshan weizhi xinkao [New research on the location of Kunlun Mountains in Shan Hai Jing]. Zhongguo lishi dili luncong 2: 127–33.Google Scholar