Ming Dynasty Imperial Family Tomb Discovered in Shanxi, Traces of an Open Clan System

Aerial view of the tomb in Qinjiazhuang Village, Changzhi City, Shanxi. (Photo provided to China Daily)

JAKARTA - The discovery of a complex of imperial family tombs of the Ming Dynasty in Shanxi Province, China, opened up new data on how the royal clans were organized at that time. China Daily quoted Friday, March 27 reported, archaeologists found a burial complex belonging to Zhu Yinxun, a descendant of the sixth generation of Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

The tomb complex was found in Qinjiazhuang Village, Changzhi City, Shanxi. A joint archaeological team excavated seven Ming-era brick tombs at the site last year to support a provincial-level construction project.

Although all the tombs had been looted, archaeologists still found nine inscribed tombstones from five tombs. This finding is the key to uncovering the identity of the tomb occupants.

A stone inscription was found in the tomb of the Zhu Yinxun family, descendants of the sixth generation of Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), in Shanxi Province. (Photo provided to China Daily)

According to China Daily, the tombstone shows that the complex is the tomb of the Zhu Yinxun family, descendants of Zhu Mo, the 21st son of Zhu Yuanzhang. The five tombs that were successfully identified are the tombs of Zhu Yinxun and his wife, his second son and his wife, his fourth son and his wife, one of his grandchildren and his wife, and another grandson. Two tombs without tombstones are suspected to belong to the eldest son and another grandson.

Project leader Wang Jingyan said Zhu Yinxun received the title of defender-general of the state at the age of 15 and died at the age of 65. According to him, the inscription found contains important data about burial customs, titles, salaries, and marriage patterns in the Ming imperial clan.

The data shows that Zhu Yinxun's child marriages were carefully arranged. His eldest son married the daughter of a protocol service official. His second son married the daughter of a vice minister at the Court of the Imperial Stud, an imperial institution that took care of the palace horses. His third son married the daughter of a local scholar. Meanwhile, his youngest son married the daughter of a shouguan, an honorary title for respected elders.

A total of 722 artifacts were found from this tomb complex. The details are 647 glazed pottery objects, 43 ordinary pottery objects, 14 porcelain, and 18 tombstone fragments. The abundance of grave supplies, ranging from statues, house models, ritual equipment, to everyday equipment, gives an insight into the life of the Ming imperial family outside the official records of the palace.

China Daily also wrote, this is the first discovery in Shanxi of a Ming imperial clan tomb complex that is still well preserved and has a clearly traceable lineage.