As we all know, Yan Zhenqing was a famous calligrapher in the Tang Dynasty. His calligraphy is called Yan Ti, and Yan Zhenqing is one of the four masters of regular script. At present, Yan Zhenqing's calligraphy in China is mainly based on inscriptions, mostly works by Yan Zhenqing in his middle age or later years. What I found this time is Yan Zhenqing's early calligraphy works. At this time, his calligraphy has not yet formed its own system, and his style is in the process of forming. This archaeological discovery is of great significance to Yan Zhenqing's calligraphy from scratch, from learning from foreigners to becoming a school of its own, and also to the history of China's medieval calligraphy.
During the excavation, a large number of tombs of Sui and Tang Dynasties were cleared up, and 4 epitaphs were unearthed, which can be confirmed as three tombs of Yuanshi County family. Among them, Yuan Daqian and Luo Wanshun's tombs are five patios, Yuan Buqi's tomb is two patios, and Yuan Ziqian's tomb is similar to Yuan Daqian's couple's tomb in shape. In addition to the epitaph, the funerary objects also unearthed cultural relics such as silver buttons, high-legged silver cups, earth copper coins, pottery lamps, towers and jars, pottery figurines and pottery animal figurines.
▲ Unearthed pottery figurines and animals.
According to the preliminary textual research of the epitaph, Yuan Daqian was the seventh generation grandson of Changshan King in the Northern Wei Dynasty, and his wife Luo Wanshun, whose real name was Chiluo, was born in Xianbei, and was changed to Luo when Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty. Yuan Buqi is the third son of Yuan Daqian, and Yuan consciously is Yuan Daqian's nephew. The family cemetery is located in Wu 'an Township, Xianyang County.
▲ Kuikou Gaozu Silver Cup unearthed from Yuan Consciousness Tomb? As can be seen from the font style on the epitaph, Yan Zhenqing's handwriting in his youth was not as thick as that in his later years. Combined with the later inscriptions, we can see this changing process, which is of great significance for studying Yan Zhenqing's early calligraphy style and further understanding its growth process. ?