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Reconciling Excavated Textiles with Contemporary Documentary Evidence: a Closer Look at the Finds from a Sixth-Century Tomb at Astana

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 July 2013

FENG ZHAO  and
LE WANG
FENG ZHAO
Affiliation:
China National Silk Museum
LE WANG
Affiliation:
Donghua University
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Extract

The excavation of tombs in the Astana graveyard, Turfan, has provided a wealth of evidence for studying everyday life on the Silk Road. Manuscripts and textiles constitute two major groups of the excavated finds. Among the manuscripts are over 60 burial inventories (yiwushu), listing items that would accompany the deceased to the afterlife. Some of the items on the inventories were real and can be identified with objects found in the tombs; some were represented symbolically: for example in miniature form; and others, probably included for formulaic purposes, were imagined. Although there have been several studies on the burial inventories and textiles from Turfan, the two are usually considered separately, with little attention to their correlation, mainly because burial inventories tend to be studied by specialists working on documents, and textiles are usually studied by textile specialists. In 2005 we were fortunate to be able to examine all the textiles from a mid-sixth century tomb at Astana (72TAM170), and to study the three burial inventories found in that tomb. Comparing the physical textile remains against the burial inventories from the same tomb offered us a rare opportunity to test the accuracy of the burial inventories, and also to identify the physical textile remains with the textile terminology of that time. This article is arranged in four parts which present a brief description of the tomb, details of the burial inventories, a comparison of the textile remains against the burial inventories and a closer look at the silk textiles found in the tomb.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society , Volume 23 , Issue 2: Textiles as Money on the Silk Road , April 2013 , pp. 197 - 221
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal Asiatic Society 2013 

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References

1 See Qian Boquan 钱伯泉, “Tulufan chutu Wei Jin Nan Bei chao shiqi de suizang yiwushu yanjiu” 吐鲁番出土魏晋南北朝时期的随葬衣物疏研究 [Research on the burial inventories of the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties periods unearthed at Turfan], Tulufanxue yanjiu [Turfan Studies] (2001) Vol. 1; Zhen, Wu 吴震, “Tulufan chutu wenshu zhong de sizhipin kaobian” 吐鲁番出土文书中的丝织品考辨, in Weiwu'erzu zizhiqu bowuguan, Zhongguo Xinjiang (ed.) 中国新疆维吾尔自治区博物馆, Tulufan diyu yu chutu juan zhiwu 吐鲁番地域与出土绢织物 [A study of the references to silk in the documents unearthed at Turfan] (Nara, 2000), pp. 84–103 Google Scholar; Qitao, Wang 王启涛, Tulufan chutu wenshu ciyu kaoshi 吐鲁番出土文书词语考释 [Analysis of the Chinese texts unearthed at Khotan] (Chengdu, 2005)Google Scholar; and Dien, A. E., “Turfan Funereal Documents”, Journal of Chinese Religions Vol. 30 (2002), pp. 23–48 Google Scholar, and “The Inventory Lists of Tomb 86TAM386 at Astana, Turfan”, Journal of East Asian Archaeology Vol. 4, Nos 1–4 (2002), pp. 183–200.

2 See, for example, the 69 miniature bolts of silk in Lady Peng's tomb (459 CE), published in wenguansuo, Tulufan diqu 吐魯番地區文管所, “Bei Liang Wuxuan wang Qu Qu Meng Xun furen Peng shi mu” 北凉武宣王沮渠蒙逊夫人彭氏墓 [The tomb of Lady Peng, wife of Qu Qu Meng Sun, Wuxuan king of the Northern Liang, in Tulufan], Wenwu (1994) Vol. 9, pp. 75–82 Google Scholar; and Hansen, V., “The Path of Buddhism into China: the View from Turfan”, Asia Major, 3rd series, Vol. 11, Part 2 (1998), pp. 37–66 Google Scholar, especially pp. 46–48. See also the string of 28 discs of dried gourd representing 28 coins, found in Tomb 169 (object ref. no. 72TAM169:38), published in yanjiusuo, Tulufan wenwu kaogu 吐魯番文物考古研究所, “Asitana gu muqun di shi ci fajue jianbao” 阿斯塔納古墓群第十次發掘簡報 [Short excavation report on the 10th season at the Astana graveyard], Xinjiang Wenwu (2000) Vols 3–4, pp. 84–157 Google Scholar, especially pp. 98 and 141 (p. 98 lists 2 discs, but this is probably a typo) and illustrated on p. 97, fig. 9, no. 1.

3 See A. E. Dien, “The Inventory Lists”, especially p. 192.

4 On textiles, see Nai, Xia 夏鼐, “Xinjiang xin faxian de gudai sizhipin” 新疆新发现的古代丝织品 [New discoveries of ancient silks in Xinjiang], in Wenwu jinghua di er ji 文物精华第二集 (Beijing, 1963)Google Scholar; Min, Wu 武敏, “Tulufan chutu Shu jin de yanjiu” 吐鲁番出土蜀锦的研究 [Research on the jin-silks from Shu unearthed at Turfan], Wenwu (1984) Vol. 6, pp. 70–80 Google Scholar; Min, Wu, “Cong chutu wenshu kan gudai Gaochang diqu de can si yu fangzhi” 从出土文书看古代高昌地区的蚕丝与纺织 [Sericulture and weaving in the Gaochang area as seen in the excavated documents], Xinjiang shehui kexue (1987) Vol. 5 Google Scholar; and Wu Min, “Asitana gu mu chutu zhijin de yanjiu” 阿斯塔那古墓出土织锦的研究 [Research on the jin-silks unearthed in tombs at Astana], in Zhongguo Xinjiang Weiwu'er zizhuqu bowuguan (ed.) Tulufan diyu yu chutu juan zhiwu, pp. 143–168.

5 We are very grateful to Wang Bo of the Xinjiang Museum for his help during this project. Our research was presented at the Conference on Turfan Studies at Turfan in 2008, and published in Chinese in 2010; see Zhao Feng 赵丰, Wan Fang 万芳, Wang Le 王乐 and Bo, Wang 王博, “TAM170 chutu sizhipin de fenxi yu yanjiu” TAM170 出土丝织品的分析与研究 [Analysis and research on the silks unearthed in Tomb 170 at Astana], in Tulufan xue yanjiu – di san jie Tulufan xue ji Ou Ya youmu minzu de qiyuan yu qianzu guoji xueshu yantaohui lunwenji 吐鲁番学研究——第三届吐鲁番学暨欧亚游牧民族的起源与迁徙国际学术研讨会论文集 [Research in Turfan Studies – Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Turfan Studies and the Origins and Migrations of Eurasian Nomadic Peoples] (Shanghai, 2010), pp. 241–267 Google Scholar.

6 To date, there is only one other detailed comparison of the contents and burial inventory of a Turfan tomb; see A. E. Dien, “The Inventory Lists”.

7 See yanjiusuo, Xinjiang wenwu kaogu 新疆文物考古研究所, “Asitana gumuqun di shi ci fajue jianbao (1972–1973)” 阿斯塔那古墓群第十次发掘简报 (1972–1973) [Short excavation report on the 10th season at the Astana graveyard, 1972–1973], Xinjiang wenwu (2000) Vols 3–4, pp. 84–167 Google Scholar.

8 The other three tombs in this group had also been disturbed. TAM169 contained two occupants, identified as Zhang Dun 张遁 (d. 558) and his wife. TAM186 also contained two occupants: one male and one female. Detailed records of TAM168 are lacking.

9 Details of the Astana tombs (tomb ID no, structure, orientation, measurements, occupants [gender and name(s)], burial type, burial goods, condition of tomb [disturbed/intact] are given in the table appended to Xinjiang wenwu kaogu yanjiusuo, “Asitana gumuqun” (2000).

10 See Xinjiang wenwu kaogu yanjiusuo, ‘Asitana gumuqun”; and Zhao Feng et al., “TAM170 chutu sizhipin”.

11 They were first published in Changru, Tang 唐长孺 (ed.), Tulufan chutu wenshu (yi) 吐鲁番出土文书 I (Beijing, 1992)Google Scholar; and subsequently by Can, Hou 侯灿, “Tulufan Jin—Tang gu mu chutu suizang yiwushu zongkao” 吐鲁番晋—唐古墓出土随葬衣物疏综考 [Burial inventories unearthed in tombs from the Jin to Tang periods at Turfan], Xinjiang wenwu (1988) Vol. 4 Google Scholar, reprinted in his Gaochang Loulan yanjiu lunji 高昌楼兰研究论集 [Collected papers on Gaochang and Loulan] (Xinjiang, 1990).

12 See A. E. Dien, “The Inventory Lists”, p. 189 (referring to Astana tomb 386, excavated in 1986 [86TAM386]), who translates 褶 die as a ‘lined coat’.

13 For example, the burial inventories 64TAM15:6, 86TAM386:19 and 23. See Wang, H., Money on the Silk Road, the Evidence from Eastern Central Asia to c. AD 800 (London, 2004), p. 87 Google Scholar and fn.11; also Dien, A. E., “Instructions for the grave: the case of Yan Zhitui”, Cahiers d'Extrême-Asie (1995) Vol. 8, pp. 41–58 CrossRefGoogle Scholar. We are grateful to Helen Wang for bringing Stein's description to our attention.

14 See Stein, Marc Aurel, Innermost Asia: Detailed Report of Exploration in Central Asia, Kansu and Eastern Iran (Oxford, 1928), pp. 648–649, 683Google Scholar.

15 See M. A. Stein, Innermost Asia, pp. 649, 645.

16 See A. E. Dien, “Inventory Lists”. For other formulaic quantities: for example, 99,999 strings of cash, see Hansen, V., Negotiating Daily Life in Traditional China: How Ordinary People Used Contracts 600–1400 (New Haven and London, 1995), pp. 167–169 Google Scholar.

17 For colour photographs of these textiles, see Zhao Feng et al. (2010).

18 Geijer, Agnes, A History of Textile Art (London, 1979)Google Scholar.

19 See 60TAM326:01/4, in Changru, Tang 唐长孺 (ed.), Tulufan chutu wenshu (er) 吐鲁番出土文书 II (Beijing, 1992)Google Scholar.

20 See 59TAM303:01, in Tang Changru, Tulufan chutu wenshu (yi).

21 Xinjiang wenwu kaogu yanjiusuo, “Asitana gumuqun”.

22 Wu Zhen, “Tulufan chutu wenshu zhong de sizhipin kaobian”.

23 Xinjiang wenwu kaogu yanjiusuo, “Asitana gumuqun”.

24 Le, Wang 王乐, “Heli wen jin ku fuyuan baogao” 合蠡纹锦袴复原报告 [Reconstructing the trousers made of heli pattern jin-silk], in Mingxin, Bao 包铭新 (ed.), Xiyu yi fu: Sichou zhi lu chutu gudai fushi fuyuan yanjiu 西域异服—丝绸之路出土古代服饰复原研究 (Shanghai, 2007), pp. 109–115 Google Scholar.

25 Rutherford, Judith and Menzies, Jackie, Celestial Silks: Chinese Religious and Court Textiles (Sydney, 2004), especially the brown part of the robe on p. 19 Google Scholar.

26 Kaneo, Matsumoto, Jodai-gire: 7th and 8th Century Textiles in Japan from the Shoso-in and Horyu-ji (Tokyo, 1984), p. 84, fig. 65Google Scholar.

27 Guyuan xian wenwu gongzuo zhan 固原县文物工作站, “Ningxia Guyuan Bei Wei mu qingli jianbao” 宁夏固原北魏墓清理简报 [Short report on the clearing of the Northern Wei tomb at Guyuan, Ningxia], Wenwu (1984) Vol. 6, pp. 55–58, especially pp. 55–56, figs 35–38. We are grateful to Helen Wang for this observation.

28 For example, see Feng, Zhao, Treasures in Silk: An Illustrated History of Chinese Textiles (Hong Kong, 1999) p.140, nos 04, 06Google Scholar.

29 Feng, Zhao, “ Jin, Taquete and Samite Silks: the Evolution of Textiles Along the Silk Road”, in China: Dawn of a Golden Age (200–750 AD) (New York, 2004), pp. 67–77 Google Scholar; and Feng, Zhao 赵丰, “Xinjiang dichan mianxian zhi jin yanjiu” 新疆地产绵线织锦研究 [A study of jin woven with cotton thread, produced in Xinjiang], Xiyu yanjiu (2005) Vol. 1, pp. 51–59 Google Scholar.

30 Feng, Zhao, Zhongguo sichou yishu shi 中国丝绸艺术史 [History of the art of Chinese silk] (Beijing, 2005)Google Scholar.

31 Xu, Wang 王旭, “Huang di fangge renwu dongwu wen jin zhentao de baohu xiufu” 黄地方格人物动物纹锦枕套的保护修复 [Conservation and restoration of the pillowcase woven in jin-silk with human figures and animals on a yellow ground], in yanjiuyuan, Zhongguo wenhua yichan (ed.) 中国文化遗产研究院, Tian yi you feng: Zhongguo gudai fangzhipin baohu xiufu lunwenji 天衣有缝——中国古代纺织品保护修复论文集 [Even heavenly robes have stitches – a collection of papers about the conservation and restoration of China's ancient textiles], (Beijing, 2009), pp. 71–78 Google Scholar.

32 Guyuan xian wenwu gongzuo zhan, “Short report”, especially. p. 54, fig. 34. We are grateful to Helen Wang for this observation.