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Ancient Chinese Tombs
Since at least the Neolithic period, the Chinese have included
burial goods in graves. This practice not only continued during
the following millennia but expanded so that by the Han dynasty,
multiroomed underground tombs were furnished with a wide variety
of religious, utilitarian, and prized objects. Some of these objects
were made for and used by the living, while others, called mingqi
or "spirit objects", were made specifically for burial.
Although their conception of the afterlife was complex, the ancient
Chinese essentially believed that upon death, one’s spirit
split into several components that either resided in the heavens
of the immortals or remained active on Earth, inhabiting the tomb
and influencing the lives of living family members. In order to
remain content and benevolent, a spirit not only needed continued
devotion from his or her descendants but also items that represented
the possessions and activities he or she enjoyed during life on
Earth. These items included food, clothing, paper money, books,
and images of servants, companions, guardians, entertainers, and
animals crafted from clay, wood, straw, or occasionally bronze.
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