Xiongnu/Rong artifacts from Majiayuan Cemetery, Warring States Period 5th-3rd C. BCE

February 02, 2023

Xiongnu/Rong artifacts from Majiayuan Cemetery, Warring States Period 5th-3rd C. BCE

The sources I could find on this attribute the Majiayuan Cemetery to either the Xiongnu (Huns) or the Rong (aka Xirong) people. If wikipedia is correct, Rong and Xirong are (or were in older times?) properly pronounced "Jung" and "Hsi-Jung".

The dating is from 480-222 BCE (Warring States Era), though one source I saw approximated it to around 350 BCE. The Warring States Era sees the transition of this area from the Rong period to the Xiongnu period. In Sima Qian's Shiji he implies the Rong are the ancestors of the Xiongnu and illustrates the problems the Shang Dynasty (1600-1045 BCE) and Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 BCE) had in dealing with the Xiongnu's ancestors (Shiji 110: The Account of the Xiongnu). He also applies the names Xianyun and Hunzhu in describing the pre-Rong ancestors of the Xiongnu, from the time of Emperor Yao (2356-2255 BCE) and earlier, essentially designating the Huns as an eternal problem for Huaxia (China) since time immemorial.

"Later Chinese annals contain a number of references to the Xianyun, such as by Sima Qian (c. 145/135 – 86 BC), Ying Shao (140-206 AD), Wei Zhao (204-273), and Jin Zhuo (late 3rd–4th century AD). They stated that Xunyu (獯鬻) or Xianyun were terms that designated nomadic people who later during the Han dynasty were transcribed as "Xiongnu" (匈奴). This view was also held by the Tang dynasty commentator Sima Zhen (c. 8th century). Wang Guowei (1877–1927), as a result of phonetical studies and comparisons based on the inscriptions on bronze and the structure of the characters, came to the conclusion that the tribal names "Guifang" (鬼方, pronounced Kuei-fang; lit. 'Demon Territory'), "Xunyu" (獯鬻), "Xianyu" (鮮虞), "Xianyun", "Rong" (戎), "Di" (狄), and "Hu" (胡) given in the annals designated one and the same people, who later entered history under the name Xiongnu." (taken from wikipedia).

Mound 16. Intertwined birds and snakes. Gold belt decoration.

Xiongnu (Hun) or Rong men with upturned 'handlebar' mustaches. The faces appear Caucasoid. According to the source I got this from, there are 6 other ornaments like this, but I could only find images of these 2: "The eight human mask-shaped ornaments are made with gold foils by repoussé technique. The human faces have circular eyes, protruding nose and eyebrows and beards painted with black color (Figure 4)." (Chinese Archaeology 11 (2011): 50–59 © 2011 by Walter de Gruyter).

Mound 16. Wheel decoration.

Mound 16. Chariot, restored. Note, the swastika art pattern.

Note the swastika.

Mound 16. Gold belt decoration. Length: 6.4 cm. Width: 3.7 cm. Weight: 30.31 grams.

Mound 16. Remains.

Mound 16. Yinyang earrings made of gold, agate, and turquoise. 4.7 cm long.

Mound 16. Jewelry.

Mound 16. Silver necklace.

Mound 16. Gold necklace.

Mound 16.

Mound 4. Remains.

Mound 16. Bracelets or armlets?

Mound 3. Gold cross-shaped chariot decoration with swastika design. Length: 7.4 cm. Width: 7.3 cm. Weight: 2.69 grams.

Mound 16. Golden belt hook. Length: 20 cm. Width: 7.2 - 7.6 cm. Weight: 228 grams.

Mound 16. Golden hat decoration. Diameter: 5.1 cm. Height: 0.5 cm. Weight: 7 grams.

Mound 14. Gold earrings, red stone marrows, gold flakes, pearls, and turquoise. I couldn't locate an image of the design, but the excavation notes say these earrings also have a Taiji, or Yinyang, symbol like the ones from Mound 16. 4.6 cm long. 2.49 grams per earring.

Mound 16. Yinyang earrings made of gold, agate, and turquoise. 4.7 cm long.

Mound 16. Ibix-shaped gold chariot decoration. Length: 7.5 cm. Height: 6.7 cm. Weight: 4.57 grams.

Mound 3. Ibix-shaped silver chariot decoration. Length: 6.9 cm. Height: 7.5 cm. Weight: 2 grams.

Mound 3. Tiger-shaped gold chariot decoration. Length: 7.6 cm. Height: 5 cm. Weight: 3 grams.

Mound 5. Wolf-shaped silver chariot decoration. Length: 7.7 cm. Height: 6 cm. Weight: 1.81 grams.

Mound 16. Tiger-shaped gold chariot decoration. Length: 9.5 cm. Height: 6.5 cm. Weight: 3.33 grams.

Mound 5. Deer-shaped silver chariot decoration. Length: 6.7 cm. Height: 6.5 cm. Weight: 1.73 grams.

Mound 3. Tiger-shaped gold chariot decoration. Length: 7.6 cm. Height: 5 cm. Weight: 3 grams.

Note what appears to be a wing, similar to other examples of winged goats/stags from the Ordos culture.

Mound 3. Tiger-shaped gold chariot decoration. Length: 7.6 cm. Height: 5 cm. Weight: 3 grams.

Mound 4. Golden tiger belt decoration. Length: 6.5 cm. Width: 3.6 cm. Weight: 8.8 grams.

Warring Statue period gold ornament attached to the belt. Unearthed from Majiayuan Tomb, Zhangjiachuan, Gansu Institute of Cultural Relics and Archeology.

The Warring States period (475-221 BCE) iron-made ornament inlaid with gold and silver. Unearthed from Majiayuan, Zhangjiachuan, Gansu Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics.