Preliminary Study on Textiles Unearthed from the Xuewei No. 1 Tomb (2018) at Reshui, Dulan, Qinghai

This paper compiles and analyzes 863 textile artifacts unearthed from Xuewei Tomb No. 1 in Dulan, Qinghai, in 2018, examining their types, craftsmanship, and cultural significance. The textiles include eight categories: silk, Chinese damask, damask, plain gauze, twill damask, thread gauze, tsumugi, and banbu, incorporating six decorative textile techniques: weaving, painting, mud-gold application, embroidery, dye-resist techniques, and patchwork. The patterns can be categorized into three groups—floral, animal, and geometric—featuring motifs such as lions, tigers, birds, dragons, grapes, and scrolling vines. These elements blend Central Plains aesthetics with Western influences, reflecting the multicultural exchanges along the Silk Road during the Tibetan Tubo period. Based on archaeobotanical radiocarbon dating, the dyed warp-patterned textiles from this tomb are identified as the earliest known examples with a well-defined historical background. The textiles unearthed from this tomb provide new evidence of material and cultural exchanges along the Silk Road during the Tang Dynasty.