|

A panoramic view of the ongoing excavation at the Mausoleum No 7 complex. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Archaeologists uncover an additional site in Zhejiang, revealing exile, ritual, and the dynasty's reluctant permanence, Yang Feiyue reports.

An hour and a half's drive southeast from the bustling heart of Hangzhou, the urban landscape gives way to a quiet, hilly terrain carpeted with tea fields.

To the untrained eye, it is merely a scenic vista in Fusheng town, Shaoxing, in eastern Zhejiang province. Yet, beneath these verdant rows lies one of the most significant archaeological secrets in southern China — the Six Mausoleums of the Song Dynasty (960-1279).

They were the final resting place of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) emperors and empresses.

The tomb cluster, now tucked away among a vast, serene landscape of green tea bushes in the town, tells a story of exile, impermanence, and a profound psychological shift that shaped the final century of an empire.

In September, archaeologists uncovered a grand imperial shicangzi (stone chamber tomb) in the burial complex's northern section — the seventh such chamber discovered.

Upon entering the archaeological site, one finds Mausoleum No 7 nestled against mountains on three sides, oriented northwest to southeast, in a setting nothing short of picturesque.

The exposed stone chamber is grand in scale, covering over 100 square meters. Stone boundaries on three sides are clearly visible, while the fourth remains hidden beneath tea fields, awaiting full excavation.

"Based on the form, scale, and other available data, this should be classified as an imperial-grade mausoleum," states Li Huida, deputy director of the Zhejiang provincial institute of cultural relics and archaeology and head of the Song mausoleums archaeological project.

The specifications of the stone chamber in Mausoleum No 7 are consistent with those of large stone chambers previously discovered, such as the one in Mausoleum No 1, he explains.

Archaeologists have already uncovered a long corridor on one side of the tomb, suggesting a symmetrical layout with corridors on both flanks. The courtyard-style structure extends southward into the tea fields.

The scale of Mausoleum No 7 is vast, and archaeologists believe that, above the stone burial chamber, there should have been a turtle-head hall that was designed to house and shield the top of the stone chamber from the elements. In front of it, the foundations of an offering hall would have hosted rituals and worship.

Currently, a significant number of architectural remains are still preserved beneath the tea fields, Li says.

It represents a milestone that confirms half of the historically recorded "Seven Emperors and Seven Empresses" have now been located, according to the archaeological team.