In Datong, Shanxi, in a tomb connected with a person named Jia Bao 贾宝, archaeologists for the first time found wooden figurines of warriors and
grave-quelling beasts from the Northern Wei period. The style of the grave is largely that of the Jin system 晋制. The tomb (M13) these figurines came out of was special in shape,
in its numerous grave goods, its clear date, and that it belonged to a named individual. Within the chamber of this tomb there was a wooden hall 木堂, within which there was
a wooden couch. Unfortunately, these wooden structures collapsed and rotted away. That Jia Bao had a wooden hall rather than a stone one means the budget for his tomb was
limited and he was probably of middle means. Among the tomb's grave goods was a stone stele that has the following inscription: “唯大代太和元年 (477 CE)
岁次丁巳十月辛亥朔十日庚申凉州武威郡姑藏县民贾宝铭.” Jia Bao is not mentioned in the dynastic histories, however the Wuwei Jia lineage was one of Liangzhou 凉州 great families. Forty-three other
tombs were found in this cemetery.
For more on this discovery, see the Shanxi Wan Bao here.
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