Burial rituals come to life

Archaeologists also find that the burial practice of placing a coin in the deceased's mouth was common. This is a time-honored tradition from China's Central Plains, dating back to the Neolithic era, over 4,000 years ago.

Mysterious artifacts also include some wooden and iron ground certificates — pieces of wood or iron with words used as certificates for the dead's land acquisition in the afterlife. The tradition of burying them in tombs is believed to be closely related to Taoism, providing evidence of its spread in Turpan at that time.

Moreover, burnished artifacts with gold and silver inlay, which were luxuries during the Tang period, Central Asia-style jars and Sogdian burial traditions are also found in different tombs in the cemetery.

Although many of the tomb occupants' identities remain unknown, archaeologists have confirmed two as Tang Dynasty senior officials, Cheng Huan and Li Chonghui, based on tomb epitaphs.

The inscriptions show both officials, who are not recorded in historical literature, served in Xiyu even after the An-Shi Rebellion (755-763), an event traditionally linked to the dynasty's decline.

"The titles of emperors' reigns, the officials' ways of ascending in their careers, and some administrative systems recorded in the epitaphs all follow the same patterns with those found in China's Central Plains, providing precious evidence of the Tang government's continued administrative presence in the region during a period with limited historical records," says Shang.

Based on Li's epitaph, archaeologists discover that he was born into an aristocratic family that produced many high-level officials in the Sui (581-618) and Tang periods.

"Li's epitaph records that he admired the ambition of Ban Chao, a diplomat from the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220) who re-opened the ancient Silk Road and safeguarded the frontier. This reflects Li's commitment to protecting his motherland and defending its borders. Despite being born into a prominent family, he did not choose a life of leisure," says Shang, adding that in history books and archaeological efforts, they have discovered many individuals from China's Central Plains who, like Li, dedicated themselves to defending the frontier in Xinjiang.

Guo Wu, an archaeologist with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, says Turpan is known as a paradise for his peers, as its dry climate has contributed to preserving numerous cultural relics from different eras, similar to a time capsule.

"Government documents were often issued nationwide, so similar ones can sometimes be found in different places. What makes Turpan special is that it preserves texts that have been lost elsewhere," says Guo.

Shang says the cemetery is only five kilometers from the Gaochang (Qocho) city ruins, where descendants of soldiers and officials dispatched to the area during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220), and many other ethnic people resided during the Tang era. Along with the nearby Astana cemetery site, the Badam East cemetery was a public burial ground for residents of the city.

People have found many cultural relics from the Astana cemetery site, particularly a large amount of paper relics, forming a distinctive discipline named Turpan studies. The Badam East site was discovered later when local people irrigated vineyards, says Guo.

"The yield of artifacts fills in many blanks for the first time," says Shang. "It offers a panoramic view of how multiple ethnic groups coexisted and communicated in Xiyu, laying a foundation for understanding the formation of China as a united country with ethnic diversity."