The present paper divides the generally recognized Xianbei tombs into five groups. The first group is in the Haila’er River valley on the western side of the northern Greater Hinggan Mountains; the second group, in t...The present paper divides the generally recognized Xianbei tombs into five groups. The first group is in the Haila’er River valley on the western side of the northern Greater Hinggan Mountains; the second group, in the West Liaohe River valley; the third group, in the Chaoyang area; the fourth group, on the boundary between Inner Mongolia and Shanxi; and the fifth group, in northern Shanxi, middle Inner Mongolia and the zone a little west of them. In cultural aspect, the second group tombs show certain similarity to the cemeteries at Lamadong of Beipiao and Qilangshan of Qahar Right Wing Banner, which present Xianbei features in pottery but distinct difference from the already affirmed Xianbei graves in burial manner, a cultural element maybe more expressive of ethnic attribution than pottery.As the shape of the second group tombs is unlike that of the generally recognized Xianbei tombs, there is no sufficient evidence to assign these graves to the Xianbei.Referring to literal records, it must be reasonable to attribute them to the Wuhuan rather than to the Eastern Xianbei as early researchers believed. The third group tombs centering on Chaoyang belong to the Murong Xianbei and present distinct features related to the second group tombs, which suggests that the Murong Xianbei culture represented by the third group may have partly inherited the Wuhuan culture represented by the second group. The fifth group tombs are the closest to the Northern Wei burials so far excavated, so they may represent the source of the Tuoba Xianbei culture. The first group of remains, judged by their cultural aspect, can hardly be taken as the direct successor of the fifth group graves and Northern Wei tombs, so the burials on the western side of the Greater Hinggan Mountains may have belonged to the Eastern Xianbei rather than to the Tuoba Xianbei. As the fifth group tombs show certain similarity in funeral objects to the fourth group that may have belonged to Tan Shi Huai’s reign, to speak in temporal terms, it was hardly possible that the Tuoba Xianbei entered the Datong area through the route on the western side of the Greater Hinggan Mountains.Moreover, as the fifth group tombs are related to a certain extent to the Xiongnu tombs near Baikal Lake, it can be inferred that the Tuoba Xianbei originated in the northern Greater Hinggan Mountains, then went into the zone near Hulun Buir, from there migrated southwestwards, and later, turning eastwards, entered the middle area of present-day Inner Mongolia.展开更多
文摘The present paper divides the generally recognized Xianbei tombs into five groups. The first group is in the Haila’er River valley on the western side of the northern Greater Hinggan Mountains; the second group, in the West Liaohe River valley; the third group, in the Chaoyang area; the fourth group, on the boundary between Inner Mongolia and Shanxi; and the fifth group, in northern Shanxi, middle Inner Mongolia and the zone a little west of them. In cultural aspect, the second group tombs show certain similarity to the cemeteries at Lamadong of Beipiao and Qilangshan of Qahar Right Wing Banner, which present Xianbei features in pottery but distinct difference from the already affirmed Xianbei graves in burial manner, a cultural element maybe more expressive of ethnic attribution than pottery.As the shape of the second group tombs is unlike that of the generally recognized Xianbei tombs, there is no sufficient evidence to assign these graves to the Xianbei.Referring to literal records, it must be reasonable to attribute them to the Wuhuan rather than to the Eastern Xianbei as early researchers believed. The third group tombs centering on Chaoyang belong to the Murong Xianbei and present distinct features related to the second group tombs, which suggests that the Murong Xianbei culture represented by the third group may have partly inherited the Wuhuan culture represented by the second group. The fifth group tombs are the closest to the Northern Wei burials so far excavated, so they may represent the source of the Tuoba Xianbei culture. The first group of remains, judged by their cultural aspect, can hardly be taken as the direct successor of the fifth group graves and Northern Wei tombs, so the burials on the western side of the Greater Hinggan Mountains may have belonged to the Eastern Xianbei rather than to the Tuoba Xianbei. As the fifth group tombs show certain similarity in funeral objects to the fourth group that may have belonged to Tan Shi Huai’s reign, to speak in temporal terms, it was hardly possible that the Tuoba Xianbei entered the Datong area through the route on the western side of the Greater Hinggan Mountains.Moreover, as the fifth group tombs are related to a certain extent to the Xiongnu tombs near Baikal Lake, it can be inferred that the Tuoba Xianbei originated in the northern Greater Hinggan Mountains, then went into the zone near Hulun Buir, from there migrated southwestwards, and later, turning eastwards, entered the middle area of present-day Inner Mongolia.
