近百年來的墓誌起源與發展研究之回顧

A Review of Research over the Past Century on the Origins and Development of Epitaphs

An epitaph is a tomb inscription on which is carved the name, identification and memorial writing for the deceased. There were two meanings of epitaphs in early China: one was the words carved on the stone or brick, the other the physical object itself. This essay focuses on these two meanings between the 1st century and 6th century.
This essay attempts to observe the origin and development of epitaphs in early China from a wider perspective. In the past, scholars only used the texts of epitaph inscriptions as historical evidence; however, they neglected the substantial messages of epitaph itself.