The archaeology of the cemetery of Liu he, the marquis of Haihun: some thoughts on mortuary institutions

Abstract

This paper discusses the mortuary institutions of Liu He, the Marquis of Haihun, as reflected in his burial and focuses on the institutions of the tomb, the associated tombs, the tomb chamber and coffins, and the shroud. Textual evidence to consider in interpreting the tomb of Liu He can be found in the “Statutes on Burial” excavated from Shuihudi Tomb M77: this paper thus tries to recover the mortuary institutions of the Marquis in the Han Dynasty by collating the archaeological and textual data. The first section deals with the institution of the tomb and concerns all of the constructions associated with it. The second section discusses the associated tombs in the cemetery of Liu He and compares them with those in other marquises’ cemeteries. The third and fourth sections examine the rich archaeological materials from Liu He’s tomb to discuss the institutions of the tomb chamber, coffins, and burial goods. This paper also discusses some intriguing questions such as the incomplete “Statutes on Burial” and the violations of the statutes seen in the cemetery of Liu He.