Qianqian Li: 'A Preliminary Discussion on the Formation of Western Sichuan Rural Settlement Pattern Based on Han Dynasty Stone Carvings from the Zengjiabao Tomb in the Western Suburbs of Chengdu'

Abstract: This article takes the mural on the rear wall of the eastern rear chamber of Tomb No. 1 at Zengjiabao as an image data for the early formation of the Western Sichuan Forest-enclosed Settlement pattern. It attempts to trace the initial formation of the "field-forest-house" forest-enclosed settlement mode in the Chengdu Plain from the Han Dynasty Sichuan manor pattern visible in archaeological images. Since the 21st century, the traditional forest-enclosed settlement landscape has been declining on a large scale, and the rural land use model and habitation pattern in the Chengdu Plain are also undergoing major changes. Direct data recording the ancient Sichuan landscape is relatively scarce, which is one of the reasons why the historical research on forest-enclosed settlements cannot be deepened. Combining cultural relics, literature, and field investigations, this paper takes the Han Tomb mural of Zengjiabao as an entry point, supplemented by murals unearthed in the Sichuan area during the same period and field labor techniques, to explore the formation of the Western Sichuan Forest-enclosed Settlement pattern, and attempts to provide a new perspective for the protection and research of forest-enclosed settlements.

Source | Southern Ethnic Archaeology, Volume 20