Defining Identities within the Funerary Space: Social and Cultural Diversification in the Brick and Cliff Burials of Sichuan (25-220 AD)

Abstract

The archaeological discoveries made in the area of modern Sichuan in the last twenty years have led to a renewed interest in the art and archaeology of the region, from the Bronze Age cultures of the Chengdu Plain to the brick and cliff burials of the Han imperial period. This paper aims to look at the local variations of iconographic motifs and architectural structures adopted in the brick and cliff burials of the region during the Eastern Han dynasty, interpreting them as significant indicators of the different social and cultural affiliations of the patrons. In exploring the most important complexes of the region, the author suggests the existence of an articulated social landscape where different mortuary rituals and modalities of representation were reflecting the composition and aspirations of the local patronage groups.