Excavation of Liu Shen’s tomb of the Western Han Dynasty on Heitou Hill in Xuzhou, Jiangsu

Abstract

Abstract In June through August 2006, Xuzhou Museum excavated the M1 at the Heitou Hill in the eastern suburb of Xuzhou City. This tomb was a vertical stone shaft pit tomb of the early Western Han Dynasty; it had an earthen mound above the grave and attendant burials were found around it. In the rammed earth fill of the grave, five layers of sealing stones were found; the burial furniture was wooden coffin, in which two human remains were found, showing that this tomb was a couple joint burial. From this tomb, large amount of exquisite grave goods were unearthed, including potteries, bronzes, jades and agate objects, iron objects, bone and wooden objects, etc. The eight seals among the grave goods were the official and private seals of the tomb occupants, from the text of which we know that the name of the male occupant of the tomb is Liu Shen, and estimate him as a member of the royal family of the Chu Feudatory Kingdom of the Western Han Dynasty.