Golden silver unicorn harness plate from Xiongnu tomb T20 at Gol Mod, 1st C. CE
"Another feature uniting all rectangular terrace tombs is the fact that they were reopened, a process generally referred to as “looting”, thus implying the intention. Usually one robber’s shaft is clearly visible, but in Tsaram even two of them were identified (Miniaev / Sakharovskaia 2007a, 161). The results in Duurlig Nars 2 are spectacular, where traces of a cage construction were documented, which give a first insight in the “robbing” process (Eregzen et al. 2008, 157 et seq.; 165 Fig.5; 6). Even though we do not have data yet to determine the point of time when those tombs were reopened it is reasonable to argue that this process did not take place very long after the burial ceremony since the burial chamber must still have stood when the opening had taken place in order to remove objects. In Gol Mod T20 for instance the lid of the coffin seemed to have been pushed aside, which could have only been done in an intact burial chamber.
In my opinion it is far from evident to identify whether we see here the results of a looting process or of a destruction process, which is not connected with grave robbery, and I question that the term “looting” – thus determining the intention – does correctly describe the phenomenon visible.
In Gol Mod T20 the amount of destruction was visible everywhere, to name only some: the quatrefoil coffin decorations were in most cases “ripped” off leaving only traces of iron on the coffin lid and the bodies of all metal vessels, none of them complete, were broken with their single pieces scattered in the eastern corridor. Destruction seems to be prevailing in T20, while still a lot of artefacts, also prestigious ones of different functional groups, like metal vessels, horse gear or jewelry remained in the grave."
-Xiongnu terrace tombs and their interpretation as elite burials by Ursula Brosseder
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| Golden silver unicorn harness plate (for a horse) from Xiongnu tomb T20 at Gol Mod, 1st C. CE. Height: 14.7 cm |
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