桃红巴拉的匈奴墓

THE HSIUNG NU TOMBS AT T’AO-HUNG-PA-LA

一九七二年冬,内蒙古自治区伊克昭盟杭锦旗阿门其日格公社桃红巴拉生产队的社员,在桃红巴拉东北4公里的阿鲁柴登沙窝子中发现了一批饰以各种动物纹的金银器。由于当地党政部门和贫下中农的重视,及时报告有关部门。一九七三年,我队派李作智、田广金二同志先后两次前往调查。一、地貌和古墓分布桃红巴拉(村名,当地俗称"沙窝子"为"巴拉")位于杭锦旗东南45公里,其西北6公里是该公社所在地阿门其日格;往东11公里是东胜县界;往东南6公里临伊金霍洛旗界;地当杭锦旗、东胜县、伊金霍洛旗的交界地带。再往北越过黄河就是阴山。其地理位置正是秦汉时所称的"河南地",又叫"新秦中"。这一带现在流沙很多,但《史记·匈奴传·正义》说:"秦始皇遣蒙恬斥逐北,故得肥饶之地七百里,徙内郡人民皆往充实之,号日新秦中"。

T'ao-hung-pa-la 桃红巴拉 lies in the A-m(?)n-ch'i-jih-ko 阿门其日格 Commune of Hangchin 杭锦 Banner in Ikjou League,Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.Its vicinity andthe area further to the east are dotted with Hsiung Nu and Han tombs,as well as withcist tombs of a later age.In 1973,archaeologists of the Autonomous Region conducted tworeconnaissances in the area,resulting in the excavation of seven Hsiung Nu tombs(sixat T'ao-hung-pa-la,one at Kung-su-hao 公苏(土毛)).Of the seven tombs excavated,only Tombs No.1 and No.2 at T'ao-hung-pa-la arestill relatively well preserved.These are all oblong earthen shafts containing a single buri-al but without any coffin.The tomb furniture consists mostly of bronze implementsand ornaments of various materials,with only a few pieces of pottery.Of particularinterest is the presence of numerous animal(horse,ox and sheep)skulls and limb bonesnear the tomb entrances.Studis of the human skull unearthed from Tomb No.1 revealmany conspicuous Mongoloid characteristics.A comparison of the bronze daggers,arrowheads,pottery and ornaments unearthedfrom these tombs with those found in the Warring States tombs of the region and theNortheast and Hopei Province suggests that these tombs probably date from the WarringStates period.According to the Shih Chi(Historical Record)and other documentary sources ofancient China,in the Warring States period the region was inhabited by the Hsiung Nutribes.The artifacts unearthed from these tombs and the burial custom evinced also seemto correspond with the customs of the Hsiung Nu tribes as related in these sources.Thetombs have,therefore,been dated to the Warring States period.