Advertisement

1,600-Yr-Old Grave Of Lovers Hugging Each Other Uncovered In North China

Recently, a grave of embracing lovers dating back to the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534) more than 1,600 years ago has been found, according to Jilin University.
First dug up in Datong city, North China’s Shanxi province in 2020, the tomb contained a single coffin holding the couple, buried in the same grave.
The male remains had the arms wrapped around his lover’s waist while the female skeleton nestled against his chest, resting her head on his shoulder. A silver ring was also discovered on the left hand of the female partner.

Source: Xinhua

An unhealed infectious fracture of the right arm of the male skeleton was uncovered by closer skeletal examination. Meanwhile, there was nothing wrong with his lover’s bones. The couple possibly committed suicide, according to the study.
Researchers said that despite the fact that numerous tombs of embracing couples from the Northern Wei Dynasty have been formerly found in China, the well-preserved remains in this find is kind of unusual than the others.
They also revealed that such tombs aid in providing more insights into the social perceptions of human life and death and attitudes towards love in that dynasty, when the coexistence of several ethnic groups fueled the rise and spread of pluralistic ethos.
The ancient Datong region used to be a major melting pot for ethnic cultures, with the fad of longing and cherishing love blooming at that time. The finger ring of the female tomb owner primarily acted as a token of love or marriage instead of mere decoration during the reign of the Northern Wei Dynasty in North China.
Tombs of embracing lovers boast over 6,000 years of history worldwide, including the Lovers of Valdaro found in Italy and the Embracing Skeletons of Alepotrypa in Greece.
The joint research on the excavated tomb in Shanxi was conducted by researchers from Datong institute of archaeology, Jilin University and Xiamen University.
Share this article
Advertisement
 
Advertisement