400-year-old epitaph found in north China’s Hebei

SHIJIAZHUANG, Nov. 18– Archaeologists have found an epitaph dating back to the Ming Dynasty in north China’s Hebei Province, local authorities said. The epitaph recorded the family’s relocation, family inheritance and development, and the life story of the tomb owners, which also gave an indication of the living conditions in southern Hebei at that time.

SHIJIAZHUANG, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) — Archaeologists have found an epitaph dating back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) in north China’s Hebei Province, local authorities said.

The epitaph, from the year 1606 and found in a village in Dongsanzhao Township, Nanhe District of Xingtai City, was identified as the joint burial epitaph of the parents of a government official named Li Ruogui.

Measuring 80 cm in both length and width and 17 cm in thickness, the epitaph is made of bluestone with 1,235 Chinese characters on it, according to the cultural relics protection department of the district.

The epitaph recorded the family’s relocation, family inheritance and development, and the life story of the tomb owners, which also gave an indication of the living conditions in southern Hebei at that time.

Lan Jianhui, an expert in literature and history in Xingtai, said that the epitaph is well preserved and rich in information, which has high historical value for studying the politics, culture and social life in central and southern Hebei during the Ming Dynasty. Enditem