1: Integration of Inner Asian and Chinese Mortuary Traditions and the Function of Architectural Models in Tombs of Inner Asian Elites of the Sixteen Kingdoms Period

Zhongzhaocun M100, excavated in the southern suburb of Xi'an in 2020, is one of the largest tombs of the Sixteen Kingdoms period discovered to date. Some 198 objects were unearthed from this tomb along with mural paintings and architectural models. These grave goods display an eclectic nature of the mortuary practice of Inner Asian elites, such as the coexistence of Han-style jars and figurines of nomadic warriors. The Sixteen Kingdoms period is a relatively turbulent historical period. Some sixteen short-lived kingdoms were founded by non-Chinese groups known as Xiongnu, Xianbei, Jie, Di, and Qiang, hence the name for this period. Zhongzhaocun M100 has revealed the significance of this transitional period in the development of mortuary culture in China. For instance, the construction of stepped terraces at the opening of the tomb continues the tradition of Western Jin tombs, and the construction of air shafts serves as precedents to those of the Sui and Tang tombs. Through examining this tomb and its contents, this paper aims to study the integration of Inner Asian and Chinese mortuary traditions during this period and particularly the function of the architectural models sculpted on top of the archways of this tomb of Inner Asian elites. It argues that these architectural models function as spectacles to creation illusion, show off the social status of the tomb owners, and trigger memories of the tomb occupants and their living environment when they were alive.