Central China was the location where archaeologists discovered a tomb dating back one thousand years that belonged to a couple who had been buried together and had a window cut through the dividing wall so that they could continue their love affair after death.
At the ancient Tangjiawan cemetery in Ningxiang, Hunan province, the husband and wife were discovered lying on the tiled floor of their brick-lined grave with their heads propped up on a tile pillow. The grave was lined with bricks.
It is believed that the bodies were buried during the time of the Northern Song Dynasty because several pieces of pottery were found alongside them (960 to 1127 AD). In ancient Chinese burials, the presence of a hole in the wall, also known as a “fairy bridge,” is extremely unusual.
According to the country’s two most prominent newspapers, China Daily and People’s Daily, their skeletons were discovered in the tomb, but they have since been removed.
Archaeologists started digging up the grave in anticipation of future plans to run the Ningxiang-Shaoshan highway right through the middle of the site. It is anticipated that it will be open to traffic in 2022.
According to Yang Ningbo, the head archaeologist at the site, the discovery of a couple that had a ‘fairy bridge’ placed between them was quite unusual.
The idea that the window would provide a means for the couple to communicate with one another after death dates back to ancient times.
The possibility is indicated by charcoal that can be found near the entrance to the tomb.
to be able to be dated more accurately through radiocarbon dating, he said, which would enable them to estimate when the couple may have been laid to rest.
The fact that there were so few grave goods suggests that the people who lived there were regular citizens who owned only essential items.
On the other hand, the fact that they were buried in a stone tomb alongside their relatives suggests that they may have had access to some wealth.
The Hunan Provincial Research Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology looked into several of the tombs that were found in a cluster in Nanfentang Village. This particular tomb was one of those tombs.
A second tomb that was also unearthed at the site was dated to the Eastern Han Dynasty, which lasted from AD 25 to 220. It only contained a total of 13 objects, including a stand and cauldron made of iron.
It was claimed that the cooking utensils are comparable to those that are utilized in the preparation of a traditional Chinese dish known as a hotpot.
Following the discovery of a rice variety that matured more quickly, the Northern Song Dynasty oversaw a period of rapid population growth in mainland China. During this time, the Northern Song also established a number of trade routes with other nations.
After the fall of the Tang dynasty in 960 AD, Emperor Taizu established the new dynasty with Kaifeng as its capital city. This was the beginning of the Jin dynasty.
During its nearly 200-year reign, the dynasty was responsible for the development of a more potent variety of gunpowder as well as printing presses with movable parts, both of which had a significant impact on the manner in which Europeans communicated during the 15th century.
The Song court had attempted to make peace with those from outside its realm, but its Mongol neighbors, led by Kublai Khan, were relentless in their assaults.
It fell apart within a decade of Marco Polo’s arrival in Beijing in 1266 AD, where he met the Mongol ruler who had already taken control of the majority of the dynasty.