Stone Coffin Research Articles

New Perspectives on the Origin of Korean Acupuncture: Based on Materials from Xiaoyingzi Tomb, Yanji and Neighbouring Region.

This article discusses the development of early acupuncture needles as demonstrated by the artifacts excavated from the Northern part of the Yanji district, Jilin, China, during the Japanese colonial era (reported in 1941). Numerous bone needles, stone needles, and other medical devices were found in the Xiaoyingzi excavation. The stone needles from Xiaoyingzi can be categorized into three grades, based on length, of 8cm, 12-15cm, and 18cm. A set of round stones for massage were also discovered, along with obsidian blades. These relics were carefully stored in the middle of the body in the stone coffin. In addition to Xiaoyingzi, stone needles were also excavated along the lower valley region of the Tuman (Tumen, ) River. These facts indicate that the owner was involved in medical practice, and that medical procedures using stone needles were quite popular at the time. This article carefully investigates that the relics have nothing to do with weaving textile or military use. Current research on the origin of acupuncture has been confined either to stone needles from the prehistoric age or to bronze needles, as well as to literature from the Warring States period to the Han China, during which acupuncture technology was considerably expanded. However, substantial knowledge on the "gap" between stone needles and metal needles has been procured through the analysis of Xiaoyingzi, Yanji. The findings of Xiaoyingzi are also significant in providing a more detailed reconstruction of the development of acupuncture in East Asia and emergence of acupuncture throughout history. A large amount of medical items (stone and bone needles, cases for needles, massage stone type bianshi, and etc.), have been excavated from Xiaoyingzi and other neighbouring sites, Along with geographic and ecological factors, this archeological data strongly suggests the medical tradition of using acupuncture needles was practiced around Tumen River basin in the Bronze Age (10th century B.C.).

Unknown Research of Kyiv Theological Academy Professor Peter Kudryavtsev about Burial Places in the Kyiv Confraternal Monastery Cathedral

This publication involves the scientific circulation of the manuscript of Kyiv Theological Academy Professor Peter Kudriavtsev, which is dedicated to the burials revealed in the underground of Epiphany cathedral of Kyiv Confraternal monastery in 1878–79. During replacement of the cathedral floor, the vicar of the monastery went down to the underground where he found burial of two before unknown persons. In one coffin there was miter. The other coffin, which appeared to be made of stone, was not opened and investigated. According to P. Kudriavtsev’s assumptions, in the first coffin Metropolitan of Gaza Paisios Ligarideswas was buried, a well-known church figure of the 17th century. The stone coffin could belong to Hetman Petro Sahaidachny. Both burials were been carried out in Confraternal monastery, before Epiphany Cathedral had even been built. Possibly, during building the cathedral both tombs got into a cathedral area (in its underground). These burials were never investigated and were lost during the cathedral destruction in 1935. P. Kudriavtsev has received the information on the specified burials from the expert on the Kyiv olden time not named in 1920th. Possibly, the presented text of the article represents the message made by Kudriavtsev on one of the sessions of the Commission of Kyiv and Right-bank Ukraine which operated at the Historical section of Ukrainian Academy of Sciences in 1924–1931. The manuscript has remained in the Archive of the Moscow Theological Academy.

‘WARUGA’ SEBAGAI DAYA TARIK WISATA DI DESA SAWANGAN, KABUPATEN MINAHASA UTARA

Waruga grave stone coffin is a cultural heritage of Minahasa that have been designated as a cultural attraction. The purpose of this study was to describe the internal and external factors that influence the development of the Waruga Cultural Heritage as a tourist attraction, as well as formulate the development strategy for the tourist attraction of Waruga Cultural Heritage in realizing the sustainable tourism. This study used qualitative descriptive analysis using the collecting data techniques through observation, in-depth interview, documentation, and literature study. Informants were determined by purposive sampling and the acquired data were analyzed using SWOT analysis. The results of this study indicated that in order to maximize the development of the tourist attraction as well as realizing sustainable tourism to the Waruga Cultural Heritage, it is necessary to develop the strategies and programs such as empowerment of local communities, develop the facilities and infrastructure of the tourist attraction, improve the safety and convenience for tourists, protection against the cultural heritage, as well as develop the institutional and human resources.

復元古代船"海王"による大王のひつぎ実験航海について

復元古代船"海王"による大王のひつぎ実験航海について

중국 北朝 시기 家屋形 石葬具의 建築意匠 연구

During the Northern Dynasties of China, ‘house-shaped sarcophagi’ excavated in ancient tombs was a special coffin-burial imitating wooden house architecture with stone. The origin of house-shaped sarcophagi of the Northern Dynasties was not revealed clearly. However, the sarcophagi are models of actual architecture of the Northern Dynasties. Architecture iconography includes cultural exchanges among several ethnic groups and contents of funeral rituals, so it’s significant to study on it. This thesis classifies the sarcophagi, which is based on characteristics of roof structure and theory of architectural space. Therefore, they were considered as new funeral sarcophagi combining Northern Xianbei custom of preferring stone coffin and architectural style of Northern Wei stone ancestral temple. It was possible due to the changes of funeral rituals at a burial chamber, professional roles of master craftsman, and development of architectural technologies during the Northern Dynasties. In late Northern Dynasties, Sogdian ethnic group of the Western Asia used the houseshaped sarcophagi. Most people of the Western Asia believed Zoroastrianism and used cremation and Ossuaries as funeral methods. After they had settled in China, they made new funeral system. Central China culture, Zoroastrianism, and Buddhist culture were mutually combined and created new forms of architecture. In the Northern Dynasties of China, there was innovative development for East Asia architectural history of the ancient times. The capital city of the Northern Dynasties formed the base of cities of Sui Dynasty and Tang Dynasty. The landscape of the Northern cities investigated by excavation of large-scale cave temple and record of Luogang Qielan Ji(洛陽伽藍記) reflects the development of architectural technologies of the time. This study investigates the exchange with various cultures and changing aspect of funeral rituals from the structure and iconography of the coffins of the Northern Dynasties. This thesis reconsiders the perspective that they were absorbed to Central China culture, and then draws dynamic phase of the times of the Northern Dynasties.

Practical, environmental and strategical experiences a spill 2011 of crude tall oil (CTO) along the Swedish coastline

In 2011, the Swedish coastline suffered a major oil spill of about 800 tonnes of CTO (crude tall oil) from a land based tank farm on the east coast, into the Söderhamn archipelago in the brackish Baltic Sea. The impacted area exhibit a high ecological value and is frequently used for outdoor recreation and a large number of private properties. There are very few incidents reported on CTO spills. CTO is a viscous yellow-black odorous liquid obtained as a by-product in the kraft pulping process. Sometimes the general notion is that it is harmless to the environment since it origins from coniferous trees. The name originated as an anglicization of the Swedish “tallolja” (“pine oil”).Tall oil is the third largest chemical by-product in a Kraft mill after lignin and hemicellulose. Although CTO is less harmful compared to mineral oil, release of CTO, especially large quantities, may also cause severe environmental damage to aquatic systems and to impacted shores. CTO may also cause allergic reactions to humans and mammals. The shores of the Söderhamn Bay consist mainly of rocky beaches, large rocks as well as very small pebble stones. Since the oil also got into jetties, the entire clean-up process has been difficult and time consuming, also due to the cold weather conditions in the north. Remediation of the shores and stone coffins, inside the jetties, has been made through manual labor. The impacts to the bird population were minimal since most birds had migrated for the winter. The incident happened during late fall, when the biological activity in marine organisms is low; hence low impact on the marine organism's active reproductive periods. In Söderhamn, fatty acids, recin acids and sterols have been sampled in sediments, fish muscle, and mussels. Limited impact could be noted, however, established test methods are missing for CTO. Degradation time of the CTO was longer than expected. Extensive and hardcore cleanup usually causes more damage to nature; removal of important microorganisms, increased soil erosion and diminishes the possibilities for the vegetation recovery. It is crucial to start the communication process with public and property owners as early as possible to set expectations on “how clean is clean”. The clean-up process in Söderhamn has been very successful and is coming to an end in the spring of 2016. The status and conclusions after five years of remedial actions will be presented.

Theater of the Dead: A Social Turn in Chinese Funerary Art, 1000–1400 by Jeehee Hong

Reviewed by: Theater of the Dead: A Social Turn in Chinese Funerary Art, 1000–1400 by Jeehee Hong Aurelia Campbell Jeehee Hong, Theater of the Dead: A Social Turn in Chinese Funerary Art, 1000–1400. Honolulu: University of Hawai‘i Press, 2016. x, 236 pp. US$59 (hb). ISBN 978-0-8248-5537-6 Theater of the Dead: A Social Turn in Chinese Funerary Art, 1000–1400, by Jeehee Hong, focuses on an important shift in the history of Chinese mortuary art, when tombs began to reflect the everyday world of the living much more closely than ever before. The book spans the Song, Liao, Jin, and Yuan dynasties (960–1368), a time when theater flourished among all levels of society and provided a steady stimulus for artistic production. The geographic region on which Hong concentrates, northern Henan and Shanxi provinces, constituted a particularly vibrant center of the performing arts during this time. There, theater could be enjoyed at a number of different venues: on the streets, in temples, at commercial theaters, in private households, and even at funerary rituals. The importance of theater to the people of this region is reflected in their tombs, which prominently feature actors and theaters within their decorative programs. These elaborate tombs belonged to the local elite, namely wealthy merchants and farmers, and help fill a gap in the textual record regarding how this segment of society lived and their attitudes towards the afterlife. Hong argues that most previous scholarship on these tombs has used their theatrical representations to help flesh out our understanding of the history of theater in China. Scholars have also attempted to locate specific aboveground models for the depictions of actors and theaters within these tombs. According to Hong, this “misleading practice” tends to reduce what was in fact a “complex and nuanced picture of the various representations and discourses [within tombs] into an iconographic caricature” (p. 5). To this end, Hong avoids providing the reader with any kind of systematic introduction to theater in China during this time. Instead, her discussion delves into a host of theoretical questions that center on how theatricality was seen and represented: How did “people see performances in various circumstances”? “To [End Page 210] what kinds of images were they exposed”? “What inspired them to represent theatrical images in specific ways”? And “What kinds of visual or ritual experiences shaped the meanings of those theatrical images”? (pp. 13–14). One of the main arguments Hong develops in the book is that tombs bearing theatrical representations reflect the shifting social landscape of middle-period China. Specifically, she claims that these tombs became an important means by which the non-literati elite exhibited their cultural tastes and distinguished themselves from other social groups during this time. For instance, in the first chapter, “Theater and Funeral,” Hong examines a detailed depiction of a funerary ritual that is engraved on the side of a stone coffin (ca. 1056) belonging to a well-off local man. The ritual includes, among other things, a troupe of actors and Buddhist monks clanging cymbals. Although Hong briefly touches upon the religious significance of the ritual—suggesting that it was meant to help transfer the soul of the deceased to the heavenly realm—she is more concerned with the ritual’s sociological implications. She explains that even though entertainments during funerals were condemned in the writings of leading Confucian literati of the time, this engraving demonstrates that the elites of this region regularly held these kinds of controversial performances. Hong argues that in doing so, they “repositioned the funerary discourse away from the official and orthodox sphere and toward the lived social world.” By visually recording the rituals, these individuals furthermore “actively recognized and celebrated [their] own cultural standing in society” (p. 42). Despite its merits, this chapter does not adequately address the fact that Confucian orthodoxy was rarely actually practiced in China. Another argument central to this book is that the means by which theater was represented within tombs indicates a narrowing of the perceived distance between the realm of the living and the realm of the dead. In the second chapter, “Theater for the Dead,” for example, Hong examines...

Arheološka iskopavanja srednjovjekovnog groblja na Glavici u Han Bili kod Travnika

Two remarkably rare findings have been discovered in the area of Bila river valley from its central flow to its confluence to Lašva River. During the small interventional investigation in 1959 on the site of Glavica in Han Bila very richly decorated female hat type scuffia have been discovered in one of the graves. Also in 1959 in the destroyed grave a set for fastening of the rich silver belt dated in the end of 14 and beginning of 15th century was found in Stara Bila, about 8 km on south. On both sites the deceased were buried in stone coffins. Excavations 2011-2012 are continuation of the research of the site of Han Bila after 61 years. 10 graves were discovered with all deceased buried in stone coffins. Despite the wealth of the monuments and dense population in Middle Ages historical records for medieval district (župa) of Lašva are very poor and it is not possible to know to which families these graveyards belonged to. Knowledge about conditions of two exceptional tomb findings in the medievalcemeteries in the valley of the river Bila have been initiated further investigations and analysis of known data about cemeteries and population in that area.

Câteva sarcofage din piatră de la Dierna (Orșova) din lapidariul Muzeului Național al Banatului / Some Stone Coffins Discovered in Dierna (Orșova) from Lapidary National Museum of Banat

The ancient city of Dierna can not be archaeological investigated because of the Danube waters that forms in the area the reservoir of Iron Gates. We know little about the roman settlement and exploitation of any information is important to write the history of this place. The stone coffins found in the necropolis of Dierna and preserved in diffrent museums offer us relevant information about the ancient population here and they funeral beliefs. Such a category of materials are the few limestone coffins from Dierna, of whose existence we already know from the beginning of the last century that adorned the exhibition of the museum from Timișoara. Of these monuments (a large adult coffin, a child sarcophagus and a small oval stone bowl used increasingly likely for the burial of a newborn child) will be analysed in this paper.

PRACTICAL, ENVIRONMENTAL AND STRATEGICAL EXPERIENCES FROM TWO SPILLS IN 2011 OF CRUDE OIL AND CTO ALONG THE SWEDISH COASTLINE

ABSTRACT In 2011, the Swedish coastline suffered two major oil spills. About 500 tonnes of bunker oil occurred in the marine waters of the west coast, in the waters of Skagerrak, on to the coastline of the Tjörn archipelago. The second spill, about 800 tonnes of CTO (crude tall oil) occurred from a land based tank farm on the east coast, into the Söderhamn archipelago in the brackish Baltic Sea. Both impacted areas exhibit a high ecological value and are frequently used for outdoor recreation. In Söderhamn, many private properties were impacted as opposed to Tjörn, where the archipelago is common land. The affected coastal area at Tjörn comprise rocky beaches with varying degrees of cracks, bays, rock pools, etc. At Tjörn, remediation has been made through manual labor combined with experimental methods facilitating faster manual removal; such as mineral oil degreasers, coconut oil, rapeseed oil, and heating up the oil by means of a torch. Manual labor through scraping with various tools (e.g. spatulas, knives, cloths) has however been the main method. The remediation was difficult and dangerous due to the slippery rocks and tough weather conditions. The shores of the Söderhamn Bay consist mainly of rocky beaches, large rocks as well as very small pebble stones. Since the oil also got into jetties, the entire clean-up process has been difficult and time consuming, also due to the cold weather conditions in the north. Remediation of the shores and stone coffins, inside the jetties, has been made through manual labor. The impacts to the bird population were minimal in both incidents since most birds had migrated for the winter. At Tjörn, some short-term impact could be noted on indicator species like the Blue mussel. The incident happened during late fall, when the biological activity in marine organisms is low; hence low impact on the marine organism's active reproductive periods. In Söderhamn, fatty acids, recin acids and sterols have been sampled in sediments, fish muscle, and mussels. Limited impact could be noted, however, established test methods are missing for CTO. Degradation time of the CTO was longer than expected. Extensive and hardcore cleanup usually causes more damage to nature; removal of important microorganisms, increased soil erosion and diminishes the possibilities for the vegetation recovery. It is cucial to start the communication process with public and property owners as early as possible to set expectations on how clean is clean.

Regional Characteristics and Bronze Age Tombs of South Jeolla Province and South Gyeongsang Province

This study compared and reviewed Bronze Age tombs in South Jeolla Province and South Gyeongsang Province where a number of dolmens are distributed and the largest number of Bronze Age tombs were excavated and investigated recently and examined the regional characteristics and meanings of the tombs.<BR> The areas were divided into 6 zones based on mountain ranges and river courses, and each zone showed the regional characteristics of tombs. The Yeongsan River Valley Zone and the East Zone of South Gyeongsang Province showed relatively distinguished characteristics, and the East Zone of South Jeolla Province and the West Zone of South Gyeongsang Province in the middle showed differences but also interrelatedness due to continuous exchange along the south coast.<BR> It appeared that the concept of prestige goods was different in each zone. For instance, the rank between tombs is distinguished to a degree by prestige goods in the East Zone of South Jeolla Province but it is rather the size of the tomb that indicates the rank in the South Gyeongsang Province.<BR> On the other hand, there is a consistent difference in the relationship between each dolmen group and settlement. In other words, a dolmen group is matched with an individual settlement in many cases in South Jeolla Province where there are many dolmens whereas a dolmen group is matched with a number of settlements in South Gyeongsang Province where there are relatively less dolmens.<BR> In relation to this, the difference in hierarchical structure was also shown. In South Jeolla Province where there are many dolmens, the strata of ranks of persons buried in dolmens varies more or less greater. The statuses of persons varied in dolmens in South Gyeongsang Province where there are relatively less number of dolmens were estimated to be higher than those in South Jeolla Province, and the status of stone coffin tomb groups which keep a certain distance to dolmen groups appeared to be subordinate to dolmen groups.

Human subsistence strategy at Liuzhuang site, Henan, China during the proto-Shang culture (∼2000–1600 BC) by stable isotopic analysis

Since the discovery of the proto-Shang culture, created mostly by ancestors of the Shang clan from the late Neolithic Age to the early Shang period (∼2000–1600 BC), the subsistence strategy and lifestyle of humans in China during their movement southwards have been a great focus. Chinese literature and archaeological findings suggest that the proto-Shang societies were composed of different cultural groups and had various subsistence strategies. For example, at the Liuzhuang site, three types of burials, i.e., stone coffin, wooden coffin and earthen shaft-pit, are found. The wooden coffin and earthen shaft-pit burials had been adopted locally in the Central Plains since the Neolithic Age while the stone coffin burials were usually used by people living in Northeast China and had never been found in the Central Plains before. In this study, stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic analyses were performed on human bones from the Liuzhuang site and animal bones from Zhangdeng site in Henan province, China to determine whether different social groups had various accesses to food resources and whether their dietary difference was related to inequality in social status. Humans have mean δ13C and δ15N values of −7.6 ± 0.6‰ and 9.6 ± 1.0‰ (n = 19) respectively, which strongly indicates that humans rely primarily on C4-based food. The main contribution of C4-based food in their diet is from millet agriculture or animals that consume millet by-products. The isotopic spacing of carbon and nitrogen isotopic values between pigs and humans, between dogs and humans, and between cattle and humans, all imply that these animals were the main meat resources for humans. Surprisingly, the δ13C values and δ15N values of humans with different types of burials are quite close, indicating that they had equal access to food resources. This result suggests that the proto-Shang humans had adapted to the local subsistence strategy, and the local cultural factors in the Central Plains were very well integrated into proto-Shang culture.

Bredarör on Kivik: a monumental cairn and the history of its interpretation

AbstractThe famous monumental Bronze Age cairn Bredarör on Kivik with its decorated stone coffin or cist has been described as a ‘pyramid of the north’. Situating his work as the latest stage in a long history of interpretation that began in the eighteenth century, the author analyses the human bone that survived from the 1930s excavation and shows that the cist and chamber must have remained open to receive burials over a period of 600 years.

Stone Coffin Tombs of No. 1 Boulder Mound at Locality 2 in Niuheliang Site of Hongshan Culture

Stone Coffin Tombs of No. 1 Boulder Mound at Locality 2 in Niuheliang Site of Hongshan Culture

En senneolitisk stenkiste i Bjergby på Mors

En senneolitisk stenkiste i Bjergby på Mors

Palynology of a resin from an Egyptian coffin of the second century B.C.

A palynological analysis was carried out on a small amount of resin from the inside of an anthropoid Egyptian stone coffin from the second century B.C.Pinus halepensis Miller is the best represented resiniferous plant (5.3%) in the pollen spectrum and the botanical origin of the resin can be ascribed to it. The only group of pollen which is relatively abundant in the spectrum is Poaceae (29.6%). This high percentage suggests that grasses were in bloom during the period the resin was collected (late spring or summer). Pollen of Quercus ilex, Olea europaea, Ostrya carpinifolia, Castanea sativa were also found. Pollen grains of Hordeum and Avena/Triticum types together with those of Plantago, Urtica, Chenopodiaceae, Rumex and Artemisia represent anthropogenic indicators.A phytogeographical interpretation of the found pollen assemblage suggests the eastern part of the Mediterranean as the most probable area where the resin was collected. The presence of Cedrus libani pollen suggests an origin from south-eastern Turkey, north-western Syria or northern Lebanon. The flora of this area is in accordance with the pollen assemblage found in the studied resin.

A Burial from the South Aisle of Winchester Cathedral

In February 1980 the Winchester City Archaeology Office undertook the excavation of a burial discovered by workmen in the south aisle of Winchester Cathedral. A partly decomposed skeleton and the remains of woollen clothing and leather shoes were found contained in a stone coffin. Analysis of the skeletal material, textile and leather combined with the evidence of its location suggest the burial of a man of high status in medieval society. On the basis of the clothes and in the absence of any ecclesiastical parallels he seems likely to have been a layperson rather than a cleric. The style of shoes and coffin make a date of burial before the mid-thirteenth century likely.

Cirencester, 1969–1972: Ninth Interim Report

SummaryThe 1969–72 excavations have concentrated on two main areas to be affected by the proposed relief road around Cirencester. In insula XII two houses, apparently constructed in the second half of the third century A.D., have been uncovered and planned. A total of twelve mosaics were found in varying states of preservation. Building XII, I was rectangular with a bath suite to the west, whilst the latest phase of XII, 2 resembled the plan of a winged corridor villa. From this building came evidence of iron working. Both buildings continued to be used in the fourth century and there is slight structural evidence suggesting fifth century occupation.To the west of Cirencester excavation of a late Roman cemetery has produced 268 burials, not all of which were complete, and a small number of associated finds. All but one were inhumations and two were in stone coffins. The skeletons have been studied by Dr. C. Wells and a short report on his work is included. Work has also been carried out on a road leading towards the amphitheatre. To the north of this road was a boundary(?) wall. Other excavated sites are mentioned in this report. Several interesting pieces of Roman sculpture were found.Two appendices are included which discuss the mosaics and inscriptions found during the period under review.

Folklore in Buckinghamshire Churches

WHILST I was studying the church-lore of Oxfordshire, Mr P. Spokes, of Oxford, kindly advised me to extend my investigations over Buckinghamshire and Berkshire in order to gain a better insight. I followed Mr Spokes' sound advice and visited Buckinghamshire churches after my paper on the 'Folklore in Oxfordshire Churches' had been published.' This has enabled me to offer in the present paper a few comparisons between Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. I have excluded from this paper two subjects, namely, 'wheeping chancels' and armour in churches, because they have been studied conclusively by H. Benson and F. H. CrippsDay.2 I have copied the dates of Buckinghamshire monuments either directly or have taken them from Professor N. Pevsner's book on 'Buckinghamshire', which has been of great help to me.3 I propose to start with two parallels. At Wardington in Oxfordshire and at Upper Winchendon in Buckinghamshire there is a stone coffin-lid which shows only the head and the hands of the deceased. The rest of the body is hidden from view. These stone coffins are modest representations of a group which Ch. Boutell calls 'semi-effigial monuments'.4 Henrietta s'Jacob has suggested that the dead may be representated as 'waiting for Judgment'.5 Oxfordshire has only one typical decoration: busts with linked arms, carved in stone on the capitals of nave pillars, which may commemorate either medieval dances in churches or the support given by minstrels to the building of the church.6 A variant of the

Human Bones at Zingayama, Yamaguchi Prefecture

The site is at Zingayama, Kutanabe, Sagamura, Kumage County, Yamaguchi Prefecture, on the top of a hill about 15 meters high.A stone coffin, so called Gist, was found about several years ago, and the human bones were obtained in it. The cist is made of slate, and 160cm in breadth and 29cm in depth. The inside walls of the cist were red-coloured.The skull in the coffin is well-preserved. It is presumed to be of a male in adult. The light vermilion colour adheres to its face. The cephalic index is dblichocran, the heigth-length index orthocran, and the height-breadth index metriocran. The upper facial index is euryen, orbital index (both sides) mesoconche, nasal index chamerrhine and palatal index leptostaphyline.