Archaeologists have studied the tomb of the founder and first ruler of Northern Zhou, Emperor Yuwen Jue. During his reign, Jue used the title "Heavenly Prince" and reigned for just under a year, from February to October 557. The burial was discovered in the city of Xianyang, one of the former capitals of China. Previously, the tombs of other high-ranking officials were found here.
The emperor's burial site is a single-chamber tomb surrounded by a rectangular moat. In ancient times, this place was looted, so among the remaining artifacts there were almost no jewelry left. But scientists got dozens of terracotta figurines in the form of warriors, horse riders, and mythological creatures. Near the entrance to the tomb, archaeologists came across a stone with an epitaph in which Yuwen Jue is called a duke, since he received the imperial title posthumously.
The epitaph proved to be a valuable source of information about the political struggles within the Northern Zhou dynasty during its infancy. The confrontation was led by Yuwen Jue and his cousin and guardian Yuwen Hu. Since Jue wanted to seize complete power, he decided to kill his guardian, but he managed to overthrow the ruler and deal with him. Later, Wu Ti, Yuwen Jue's full brother, killed Yuwen Hu and reburied the remains of the first Northern Zhou Emperor with due honors.
