三燕龙城遗址

choi

Michael J Hatch, Connected Cultures; A show presents rarer artifacts from an unstable period in China's history. Wall Street Journal, Sept 24, 2024, at page A15
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/w ... ultures/ar-AA1r4GBf

Note:
(a)
(i) This is an exhibition review:
Gold From Dragon City: Masterpieces of Three Yan From Liaoning, 337-436. China Institute Gallery, Sept 5, 2024 through Jan 5, 2025.

press release: China Institute Presents Gold From Dragon City: Masterpieces of Three Yan From Liaoning, 337-436. China Institute, July 23, 2024 )no photo).
https://chinainstitute.org/edc-press/gold-from-dragon-city/
("A clay sculpture of a meditating Buddha has a prominent ushnisha, a cranial protuberance indicating wisdom, and an urna, another symbol of wisdom, between the eyebrows. Most surviving Buddhist statues are stone. Because of the fragility of clay, rustically made sculptures like this are relatively rare. The Buddha statuette is dated to the Northern Wei (386–535) [北魏, founded by 拓跋 clan of the Xianbei and the first of the Northern dynasties in 南北朝] and was excavated in 2003 from Chaoyang, Liaoning Province")
, whose entire section of "Exhibition highlights" please read.
•  ushnisha  (佛顶)尊胜佛母
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ushnisha
• urna  白毫
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urna
could be a WHITE (not red) circular dot.
(ii) China Institute
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_Institute
(1926- ; in Manhattan)


(b) "three of these successive northern states, the Former Yan [前燕; "其所在地为战国时燕国旧地，故国号为'燕' ": zh.wikipedia.org] (337-370), Later Yan [后燕] (383-407) and Northern Yan [北燕] (407-436)—the 'Three Yan' of the show's title—whose founders were from the Murong [慕容] clan of the Xianbei * * * Co-organized with the Liaoning Provincial Museum [辽宁省博物馆], which first staged it in 2021, the show gathers materials excavated from the 1950s to the 2000s in the area around what is now Chaoyang, Liaoning Province, and which was called Longcheng"
(i) 五胡十六国
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-cn/五胡十六国
("在入主中原众多民族中，以匈奴、羯、鲜卑、羌及氐为主，统称五胡。他们在这个范围内相继建立许多国家，而北魏史学家崔鸿 [478-525] 以其中十六个国家撰写《十六国春秋》（五凉、四燕、三秦、二赵，成汉、胡夏为十六国），于是后世史学家称这时期为 '五胡十六国' ")
is contemporaneous with 东晋 (in the south).
(ii) Three Yan 三燕, because these three "均曾定都于龙城（今 [辽宁省] 朝阳市)" (total 52年): from the Web.

四燕 includes 南燕 (398—410; leaders surnamed 慕容 also; "因相对于北燕位于南方故名": zh.wikipedia.org).

(c) "A Roman aquamarine glass bowl and deep teal glass cup from the tomb of Feng Sufu (d. 415) glitter alongside an earthenware temple roof tile with a lotus motif and a modest, mold-made clay statuette of Buddha [cross-refer to Note (a)(i); I fail to find a photo, but it is called 擦擦: '一种模制的泥佛或泥塔。 * * * 多由红色陶土塑成，边缘不规整，胎泥外溢': from the Web; 擦擦是藏语 tsha-tsha 的音译]. Gold and gilt-bronze official seals topped with turtles, their carapaces etched with constellations, also found with Feng, reveal his titles as the 'Duke of Liaoxi' and 'Duke of Fanyang' in roughly cast Chinese script. An impressive limestone ink-grinding table, complete with a groove to hold a brush, likewise emphasizes his literacy in written Chinese, and the cast-bronze ritual objects buried with him bear restrained geometric ornament and zoomorphic features nearly identical to typical Chinese tomb goods of the Later Han dynasty [后汉 (947-951), the fourth 代 in 五代十国]."
(i)
(A) 馮素弗
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-cn/馮素弗
("1965年考古的发掘了位于辽宁 [省朝阳市] 北票 [市] 西官营子村的冯素弗墓 ['夫妇墓，是同冢异葬': 百度百科]，出土了世界至今最早的马镫实物")
是鲜卑化的汉人. See David Montgomery 大衛•蒙哥馬利, The Use and Social Context of Glass Vessels in Early Medieval China 中國魏晉南北朝時期玻璃器皿的使用與社會背景. University of Sheffield Faculty of Arts and Humanities Department of Archaeology, September 2022 (PhD thesis)
https://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/ ... ted%20Images%29.pdf
(page 40: "someone who came from a Han Chinese family might choose to be buried in a Xianbei style tomb, with Xianbei grave goods. This was the case in the tomb of Feng Sufu a member of the ruling family of the minor Northern Yan State, who while coming from a Han Chinese family, was buried in a Xianbei style tomb, with Xianbei grave goods, possibly the result of him being raised by the Xianbei and ruling over a majority Xianbei population (Li, 1973; Hoppál, 2019: 116-118). This example demonstrates that race and ethnic identity may not determine the goods deposited in tombs, but personal choice (of the individual or those making the burial) and social background may have been more important")

He was devoted to Buddhism.
(B) 朱忠鹤, 国宝在辽宁⑬｜辽西出土世界上最早的双马镫. 辽宁日报, Feb 10, 2023
https://wap.lnd.com.cn/tj/system/2023/02/10/030381807.shtml
("一对铜鎏金 [桑] 木芯马镫 * * * 现藏于辽宁省博物馆 * * * 高约24厘米")
• 国宝在辽宁 National Treasures in Liaoning, 1-29. 北国网/辽宁日报, undated (table of contents).
https://news.lnd.com.cn/cms_udf/2023/gbzln/index.shtml
• 草原丝绸之路   in English: Steppe Route (en.wikipedia.org) or Steppe Silk Road
predated Silk Road: The en.wikipedia.org for Silk Road said this route started "2nd millennium BCE," whereas zh.wikipedia.org for 丝绸之路 said "前5世紀形成的草原絲綢之路."
• Ren Zhiyi, Steppe Silk Road. Chinese Social Sciences Today (in 中国社会科学网), Mar 1, 2024
english.cssn.cn/skw_culture/202403/t20240301_5736133.shtml  
("Archaeological studies suggest that the Steppe Silk Road was initially formed around the 5th century BCE")
(C) 一文Vol.3 ▏丝绸之路：鲜为人知的历史细节. Hangzhou: China National Silk Museum 中国丝绸博物馆, Feb 18, 2020.
chinasilkmuseum.com/jz/info_15.aspx?itemid=27754

three consecutive paragraphs (along with its heading):

"二、中国境内的丝绸之路有几条？

"关于中国境内的丝绸之路，中国学者徐苹芳在《考古学上所见中国境内的丝绸之路》文章中提到四条，一是汉唐两京（长安和洛阳）经河西走廊至西域路，这是丝绸之路的主道，它因通过新疆的塔克拉玛干沙漠和中亚的若干沙漠地区而被称为丝绸之路的沙漠路线；二是中国北部的草原丝绸之路；三是中国四川、云南和西藏的西南丝绸之路；四是中国东南沿海的海上丝绸之路。

"从欧亚大陆上的东西文化交流通道来说，现在较为公认的丝绸之路有三大路线：沙漠绿洲丝绸之路 [oasis route, which is colored brown in 图4 新版黄时鉴丝绸之路地图 )whose routes are not necessarily contemparaneous)]、海上丝绸之路和草原丝绸之路 [blue]。真正完整描述三条丝绸之路的学者要数著名中外交流史专家黄时鉴，他于1991年为中国丝绸博物馆展厅绘制了一幅网络式的丝绸之路全图，此图黄时鉴有专文论述，经他同意收录在赵丰主编的《中国丝绸通史》中。
图4 新版黄时鉴丝绸之路地图

"西南丝绸之路 [orange; to reach India directly; being the last developed land-based Silk Road]，从四川进入西藏，过尼泊尔而到达印度，或经大理而入缅甸。但此后它又可以分为两路，一路可以北上到达中亚，融入沙漠丝绸之路，另一路南下连通海上丝绸之路。

(ii) "A Roman aquamarine [shallow] glass bowl and deep teal glass cup from the tomb of Feng Sufu (d. 415) glitter alongside an earthenware temple roof tile with a lotus motif"
(A) aquamarine (n; Did You Know?)
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aquamarine
(pronunciation)

Latin-English dictionary:
* aqua (noun feminine)
* marīnus (adjective masculine; feminine marīna; from [noun neuter] mare sea +‎ [suffix] -īnus): "marine; of or pertaining to the sea"
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/marinus
(B) 商越, 冯素弗墓出土五件古罗马玻璃器，见证——  一条草原丝路连接东西文化. 辽宁日报, Jan 5, 2022
https://news.lnd.com.cn/system/2022/01/05/030283610.shtml
("北燕宰相冯素弗墓共出土5件玻璃器。 * * * 这些玻璃器是一千六百多年前，从古罗马一路向东，经欧亚草原来到东北亚。'草原丝绸之路' 的存在，为东西方频繁的文化交流提供了方便。 * * * 战国中晚期我国开始制造玻璃 [which is sectional heading:] '玻璃，在文献中一般称为琉璃、颇黎等，根据考古发掘和文献记载可以发现，我国一直存在着进口和国产两类不同系统的玻璃器。' 辽宁省文物考古研究院副研究员卢治萍告诉记者，国产玻璃器要追溯到春秋末战国初，当时西亚玻璃珠饰传到我国中原地区。在其影响下，至战国中晚期，我国已经能够制造外观上与西亚相似而成分不同的玻璃珠，并很快与中国传统文化相融合，追求仿玉效果，采用与金属成型工艺相似的铸造法制作")
(C) You read the exhibition review, and you will think the temple tile came from 冯素弗墓 also. That is why I can not find it.

By chance, I came upon
三燕龙城遗址. 辽宁省文化和旅游厅 文物管理处, Aug 27, 2020
https://whly.ln.gov.cn/whly/wlzt ... 067C103/index.shtml
("三燕龙城遗址（龙城宫城南门遗址及龙腾苑遗址总称）为十六国时期前燕、后燕、北燕所建的宫城城门及园林遗址。 其中的龙城宫城南门遗址位于辽宁省朝阳市双塔区北大街朝阳北塔东南150处,此遗址2004年在朝阳市老城区拆迁改造中，由辽宁省文物考古研究所勘探发现并于当年进行考古发掘。城门座北朝南，东西长40米，南北宽30米，面积为1200平方米；现存部分由大型夯土城门墩台、石砌门道、南北向石子路面、砖路和东西向延伸的城墙构成。考古发掘证实，此处为三燕时期始建的龙城宫城南门遗址所在，从发现到的遗迹和出土遗物上的判断推出，此城门址共历五个不同历史时期的演变，分别为前燕始建，后燕的改扩建，延至北魏，再至唐代，最后到辽金、元的废止，时间跨跃1000余年。* * * 前燕时期门址 * * * 后燕时期门址 * * * 北魏时期门址形制发生了较大变化，主要是由三门道变为一门道。中间门道继续使用，东、西门道南端用夯土封堵，封堵夯土北起南端第一个排叉柱，南部被唐代夯土打破。两侧门道未堵部分的空间内为堆积土，出土有北魏莲花瓦当和隋五铢钱。   唐代在北魏门址基础上扩大规模") (emphasis added)
(B) 李新全, 三燕文化界格图案瓦当源流考. 奈良文化財研究所, 2020, pages 195-198.
https://repository.nabunken.go.j ... 0077989_189_207.pdf
(iv) "Gold and gilt-bronze official seals topped with turtles, their carapaces etched with constellations, also found with Feng, reveal his titles as the 'Duke of Liaoxi' [辽西公] and 'Duke of Fanyang' in roughly cast Chinese script"

馮素弗墓 contained four official seals, now all in 现藏辽宁省博物馆.
(A) According to 百度百科 for 范阳公章, 车骑大将军章, 大司马章, 辽西公章:
• 范阳公章: "为一方含金量为80—85%的金印。印身长2.25、宽2.3、通高1.95厘米。重70克。印为龟钮方座。阴刻篆书 '范阳公章' 四字，印边阴刻方框，刀凿痕清晰可辨，结体端庄稳重。 * * * 汉、魏、晋以来印制，郡、县、令长皆称 '印，' 列为将军则称 '章。'  * * *据《晋书》记载，冯素弗一生中最早的爵位为'范阳公' "
https://baike.baidu.com/item/范阳公章
• 车骑大将军章: "铜质鎏金印。龟钮方座。印身长2.3，宽2.25，通高2.7厘米，重60克。印面阴刻篆书 '车骑大将军章，' 文字是用单刀刻划，点划细浅，字体疏谬。《晋书》记载，冯跋主北燕政庭，首任冯素弗为侍中兼车骑大将军。《晋书·冯跋载记》：跋为燕主 '署弟素弗侍中车骑大将军。' "
• 大司馬章: "铜质鎏金印。龟钮方座，印身长2.3、宽2.25，通高2.7厘米，重60克。印面阴刻篆书“大司马章”，文字是用单刀刻划。"
https://baike.baidu.com/item/大司馬章/53278292
• 辽西公章: "铜质鎏金印。龟钮方座。印身长2.3、宽2.25、通高2.25厘米。重60克。印面阴刻篆书 '辽西公章，' 文字是用单刀刻划。'辽西公章' 是冯素弗任司马后改封的爵称。《晋书》记载，跋 [冯素弗's elder brother and head 皇帝 of 北燕] '署素弗为大司马，改封辽西公 [so he probably got both titles around the same time]。'
https://baike.baidu.com/item/辽西公章
(B) The 4 physical seals and the stamps they created are shown in

Sarah Laursen, Leaves that Sway: Gold Xianbei Cap Ornaments from Northeast China. Department of East Asian East Asian Languages and Civilizations, University of Pennsylvania, 2011 (PhD thesis)
https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/76382599.pdf

page 42 in Chapter 2: "The second example of the fourth phase [note 44 above cited 徐基's 1987 关于鲜卑慕容部遗迹的初步考察, which was later published in 中国考古学会第六次年会论文集. 文物出版社, 1990] is the site of the tombs of Northern Yan official Feng Sufu and his wife, which were discovered in 1965 near Xiguangongzi in Beipiao county [北票市西官营子村]. Feng's burial contained four seals—one in gold and three in gilt bronze—carrying the titles Duke of Fanyang (Fanyang gong) 範陽公[sic; should be 范], Duke of Liaoxi (Liaoxi gong) 遼西公, Chariot and Horse General (juji jiangjun) 車騎將軍, and Commander-in-Chief (da sima) 大司馬. Although Feng‘s name is not indicated anywhere within the tomb, the histories record only one figure who held all of these titles: Feng Sufu, the younger brother of Feng Ba, who became the second ruler and king of the Northern Yan state. According to Feng Ba's biography in the Jin shu, Feng Sufu died at the age of about 30 in 415 CE, which is now the date assigned to the tomb.48"

page 69 in Chapter 2: "The seals—one in gold and three in gilt bronze—are discussed above in the second part of Chapter 2. 89"

page 232: "Figure 2.31 Four seals from the tomb of Feng Sufu (Li, 'Feng Sufu mu,' Pl. 3.2-5)"
Figure 2.31 Four seals from the tomb of Feng Sufu (Li, 'Feng Sufu mu,' Pl. 3.2-5)
(v) "An impressive limestone ink-grinding table, complete with a groove to hold a brush"

朝阳北票出土1600年前古砚和古墨, 辽沈晚报, Kan 19, 2022.
https://k.sina.cn/article_7517400647_1c0126e4705902h5vb.html
(d) "step-and-sway headdresses"  步摇

http://hrczh.cass.cn/sxqy/kgx/202401/t20240108_5726463.shtml
https://www.bp.gov.cn/html/BPSZF/202009/0163124711427193.html


(3) 龙城春秋：三燕文化考古成果展. 辽宁省博物馆, 2021年5月18日 - 9月21日.
https://art.icity.ly/events/hpqhd2b

Please view the last three photos:
北燕壁画汲水图,
北燕青铜虎子 (which was talked up in China Institute's press release),
北燕冯素弗「范阳公章」金印

jpg:
"A Roman aquamarine [shallow] glass bowl" (light green)
"deep teal glass cup" (dark green)