Hepu

compiled by Sally K. Church

Hepu was one of the important ancient ports along the Maritime Silk Road as early as the Han dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE). Located in present-day Hepu county in Guangxi province, it is the site of the Han Cultural Museum of Hepu county. The museum has a large collection of precious gemstone beads excavated from in Han tombs. More than 1200 Han dynasty tombs have been found in Hepu county, of which about 400 have been excavated. Materials that have been excavated include artifacts of stone, glass, bronze, pottery, amber, gold and silver.

The gemstone beads were analysed for their chemical composition and provenance in 2014 by a team in China using Micro-Raman spectroscopy. Gemstone beads made of the beryl group minerals (e.g. aquamarine, goshenite and heliodor) and almandine, have been identified. These beryl beads are the earliest known ones ever found in China. Other beads made of amethyst, chalcedony and citrine were also identified.

This research has provided important information about the early trade between South China and South Asia via the Maritime Silk Road.

- Junqing Dong, Yunling Han, Jiwang Ye, Qinghui Li, Song Liu and Donghong Gua, "In situ Identification of Gemstone Beads Excavated from tombs of the Han Dynasties in Hepu county, Guangxi Province, Journal of Raman Spectroscopy, 2014, 45, 596–602, wileyonlinelibrary.com, DOI 10.1002/jrs.4501