NO. 2 SMITHSONIAN EXPLORATIONS, I924 7I 



and his general Ho Ch'ti-ping. The tomb of Han Wu Ti is an unusu- 

 ally large one, measuring 278 yards at its base and presents oppor- 

 tunities of great archeological interest, as does also that of General 

 Ho Ch'ii-ping, where Air. Bishop saw not only the well-known stone 

 figure of a horse trampling on a recumbent warrior, but examined 

 also several other partially exposed stone sculptures of the early 

 Han period. Photographs, and scale plans of several of the tombs 

 and temples in this vicinity were made. 



The first actual excavation work conducted by the Expedition, was 

 begun in the spring of this year at Yii-ho Chen, about 17 miles west 

 of Hsin-yang Chou, in the province of Honan. This specific under- 

 taking has an added significance archeologically. in that it is the 

 first work of the kind to be conducted in China by any foreign govern- 

 ment in cooperation with the Chinese authorities. At Yii-ho Chen, 

 two tombs of the Han dynasty (206 B. C.-A. D. 221), were exca- 

 vated ; the work revealed interesting data on ancient tomb construction 

 and brought to light Chinese cultural objects dating from prehistoric 

 times to the Han period. Specimens in metal, stone and pottery were 

 found in the tombs: chariot-fittings, mirrors and arrow-points of 

 bronze ; one or two gold rings ; cast-iron implements ; a stone axe 

 and parts of stone doors and lintels ; a jade chisel ; slate arrow-heads, 

 and a number of pieces of ancient pottery — some intact, some frag- 

 mentary — among them a kind of glazed pottery which, if it be of 

 Han production, is a type hitherto scarcely known to us. 



In August, the Yii-ho Chen finds were exhibited for one day, 

 under ]\Ir. Bishop's direction, at the Historical Museum in Peking ; 

 between 5,000 and 6,000 visitors attended the exhibit. 



In the early autumn Mr. Bishop, together with Dr. Barbour, pro- 

 fessor . of geology at Peking University, and Dr. Tegengren, a 

 Swedish mining geologist, examined a mound at Peitaiho, on the 

 gulf of Chihli, which discloses evidences of what Mr. Bishop believes 

 may be a Han dynasty naval base or fortress ; one of three which 

 are said to have been built at that time, and of which two only have 

 been located. 



A satisfactory report on the purchases made in China during the 

 past year cannot be prepared at this time, for, until a more detailed 

 examination of the objects shall have been made, definite information 

 with regard to age, provenance and type will not be possible. The 

 purchases include Buddhist stone sculptures, Chinese pottery and 

 bronzes, and, among the last named, a collection which we believe has 

 come from Shou Chou, the last capital of the Kingdom of Ch'u, which 

 was destroyed in 223 B. C. 



