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Cultural feature--Burials (墓葬)

Introduction
Prehistoric remains include slate coffin burials, trash pits, various architectural structures and fire-scorched surface, etc.

During this excavation, 4 slate coffin burials and 1 unexcavated probable burial were discovered. These are denoted M1-M5. Their locations are shown in the following diagrams:

Burial distribution diagram of the Tamalin II site
Overall view of the Tamalin II site


Burial M1

Slate coffin burial M1 is located in the southeast corner of the excavation area. On May 15, 2003, it was unearthed from I1 pit L6 at a depth of 70 cm below the surface. Previously, there was a relatively higher topography. It is possible that around 1962 the surface was leveled. Strata less than 60 cm below the surface were destroyed including the upper half of the original cultural layer. At the same time, slate coffin M1 was damaged. Most of the slate was demolished. Only 3 slate panels were recovered. One is from the lid (54 cm x 23 cm x 1 cm). Perhaps it toppled over onto the south side of the coffin. The other two panels were connected and may have formed the base of the coffin. The panel on the west side of the base measures 55 cm x 29 cm x 1 cm and the panel on the east side measures 46 cm x 31 cm x 1 cm. The positions of these two bottom panels may not have been disturbed. The highest point at the east end of the base is at a depth of 77 cm below the surface. The highest point at the west end of the base is at a depth of 87 cm below the surface. There is a variation in depth below the surface of about 10 cm. The total length of the two panels is 101 cm. This may have been the interior length of the coffin. The interior width is approximately 31 cm. It is not possible to determine the exact depth, but it is most likely around 15 cm. No human remains or burial objects were found. Taking the central axis line of the base as a standard, the major axis of M1 is oriented west by north 16°. Stone structure F21 and stone structure F20 are located on the west side of M1, perpendicular to the major axis.

Burial M1 location diagram
Burial M1 slate coffin layout diagram


Burial M2
Slate coffin burial M2 was excavated on May 19, 2003 from pit B1. The highest point of the lid is at a depth of 86 cm below the surface. The depth of the cultural layer in this pit is 70-110 cm below the surface. There was only one piece from the lid measuring 60 cm in length, 30 cm in width and 1.2 cm in thickness. Near the west end of the lid is a hole measuring 12 cm in diameter. It is not clear if this was created on purpose at the time of burial or whether it formed due to compression forces following burial.

The coffin was mostly intact. It was formed from 1 panel on the east side (18 cm x 14 cm x 1 cm), 1 panel on the west side (21 cm x 16 cm x 0.7 cm, partially damaged due to erosion), two panels on the south side (west 51 cm x 18 cm x 1 cm, east 18 cm x 15 cm x 1 cm), two panels on the north side (east 38 cm x 15 cm x 1.3 cm, west 31 cm x 14 cm x 2 cm) and two panels on the bottom (east 41 cm x 19 cm x 1 cm, west 32 cm x 21 cm x 1 cm). Some of the side panels were leaning inward. The bottom panel on the west side was pressing down on the bottom panel on the east side. The highest point of the base was at a depth of 96 cm below the surface. The deepest point of the side panels was at 103 cm below the surface. The interior length of the coffin was 65 cm, width was 21 cm and depth was 10 cm. Taking the central axis line of the base as a standard, the major axis of M2 was oriented west by north 15°. Gravel structure F8 is located adjacent to the north side of M2. Gravel structure F10 is located on the south side of M2. They are both approximately parallel to the major axis of M2. No human remains or burial objects were found. Based on the size of the slate coffin, this might have been a child burial.


Burial M3
Slate coffin burial M3 was excavated from three pits, J7, J8 and K8, on May 30, 2003. The highest point of the lid was at a depth of 146 cm below the surface. The depth of the cultural layer in these pits was 140-150 cm. During the construction of the hospital’s original medical treatment building, the strata less than 140 cm below the surface were disturbed. At that time, parts of the lid and side panels on the east end of the M3 slate coffin were destroyed. Part of the base was also damaged. Only a section of the lid along the west end measuring 60 cm in length remains. However, it has been broken up into chunks. On top of the lid was found a stone hoe. It is not clear if this is a burial object. One panel on the west side was preserved intact (53 cm x 43 cm x 3 cm). The panels on the east side are missing. There were two panels on the south side with damage along the east end. However, it was still possible to determine the dimensions (west 88 cm x 44 cm x 3 cm, east 84 cm x 40 cm x 3 cm). There were two panels on the north side. The panel at the west end was preserved intact (70 cm x 40 cm x 3 cm). The upper edge slanted outward. The other panel was broken and it was not possible to determine its dimensions. In terms of the structure of the coffin, the short panel on the west end was externally placed and the long panels were internally placed. As the extent of the damage on the east side was great, it was not possible to determine the structure. The deepest point of the side panels was at 197 cm below the surface. The base consisted of 3 panels. Although a panel on the east end was missing it was still possible to reconstruct the dimensions (65 cm x 37 cm x 2 cm). The central panel was the longest (90 cm x 35 cm x 2 cm). This panel had a hole of nearly 20 cm in diameter. It may have been made on purpose during burial. The panel at the west end is very small (30 cm x 10 cm x 2 cm). It was used to fill a gap. The highest point of the base was at 183 cm below the surface. The interior length of the coffin is approximately 170 cm, width is approximately 40 cm and depth is approximately 30 cm. Taking the central axis line of the base as a standard, the major axis of the slate coffin is oriented west by north 16°.

No human remains were found. There was one confirmed burial object, which was a spindle whorl made from clay tempered black pottery. It was found in an oblique position at the time of excavation. It is conjectured that at the time of the burial, the spindle whorl was placed on a slender piece of bamboo. Based on the length of the slate coffin, this was most likely an adult burial. Based on the presence of the spindle whorl, this was most likely the burial of an adult female. Stone column F22 and erect slate structure F24 are located on the west side of M3. These two architectural remains are oriented perpendicular to the major axis of M3.

Burial M3 slate coffin lid and gravel structures


Burial M4
Slate coffin burial M4 was excavated from pits F2 and G2 on June 16, 2003. On the south side it lies adjacent and parallel to stone structure F19. The highest point of the lid was at a depth of 130 cm below the surface. The depth of the cultural layer in these pits was 90-130 cm below the surface. The lid was made up of three panels (from west to east 79 cm x 37cm x 3 cm, 140 cm x 73 cm x 3 cm, 72 cm x 23 cm x 3 cm). Most had already been broken into small pieces. There were 4 holes in the central panel of the lid, which was the largest panel. These were bored for a purpose. The diameters of the holes are 3-4 cm. The slate coffin has been preserved mostly intact. There is 1 panel on the west side (56 cm x 28 cm x 3 cm), 1 panel on the east side (64 cm x 26 cm x 2 cm), 3 panels on the south side (west 72 cm x 31 cm x 3 cm, center 50 cm x 26 cm x 2 cm, east 49 cm x 23 cm x 2 cm), and 2 panels on the north side (east 90 cm x 31 cm x 3 cm, upper edge is slanting outward, west 71 cm x 29 cm x 3 cm). There are 4 panels that comprise the base. The panel on the east end is the longest (100 cm x 39 cm x 3 cm). The remaining 3 panels are shorter. From east to west, their measurements are 36 cm x 25 cm x 2 cm, 37 cm x 25 cm x 2 cm, 37 cm x 20 cm x 2 cm. The interior length of the slate coffin is approximately 166 cm and the interior width is approximately 37 cm. Depth is approximately 25 cm at the west end and approximately 20 cm at the east end. Taking the central axis line of the base as a standard, the major axis of the slate coffin is oriented west by north 10°.  The east and west ends are clearly the shorter sides of the coffin with the panels placed externally. On the longer sides, the panels are internally placed. Among the slate coffins excavated from the Tamalin site, this type of construction is relatively rare. It has only been seen in the M1 burial from an excavation conducted in 1949. The M3 burial from this excavation may have this same type of structure. At the deepest point, the east end of the base was 157 cm below the surface and the west end of the base was at 147 cm below the surface. This is a difference of approximately 10 cm. The deepest point of the side panels was at 163 cm below the surface. No human remains or burial objects were found.
 

 

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