A study of Beast Guard of Tomb in the Period of Northern Dynasties (AD386~AD581)

[[abstract]]A ‘Beast Guard of Tomb’ is the only fantasy creature of funerary statues and has very special molding. Today the academic circle still could not find the answer of the meaning and culture source of the ‘Beast Guard of Tomb.’ The main topic of this study is the development of ‘Beast guard of tomb’ at the period of Northern Dynasties, and quantifying the data of archaeology reports, collate the style of the ‘Beast guard of tomb’, to trace the pedigree of the ‘Beast guard of tomb’ at the period during Hang Dynasty to Tang Dynasty. The analysis on changing style of ‘Beast guard of tomb’ reveal the changing meaning of ‘Beast guard of tomb’ in the funeral culture during Hang Dynasty to Tang Dynasty. This study compiles statistics the data of tombs which have Beast guard of tomb during Han Dynasty to Northern Dynasties. And to reason what area and culture of Dynasties used ‘Beast guard of tomb’ in the Northern Dynasties period. And assay the data of the owners of the tombs which have ‘Beast guard of tomb,’ to defining what race and class people used ‘Beast guard of tomb.’ The forth chapter collects the molding and pattern of ‘Beast guard of tomb,’ to build the pedigree of the style and culture meaning of ‘Beast guard of tomb.’ This study builds a pedigree and data base of ‘Beast Guard of Tomb’ at the period of Northern Dynasties’ of molding style. The conclusion of this study is the ‘Beast Guard of Tomb’ at the period of Northern Dynasties combine the culture of Chu Dynasty, Taoism funeral culture of Han people in Northern China, Shamanism culture of Xianbei people, Sogdiana and Zoroastrianism culture, and Buddhism.