2,700-year-old tombs of high-ranking nobles unearthed in north China's Shanxi Province
Over 500 artifacts have been unearthed from ancient tombs dating back around 2,700 years in north China's Shanxi Province, local authorities said on Wednesday.
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| View of the Yuanqu North Baie Cemetery [Credit: Shanxi Institute of Archaeology] |
The unearthed cultural relics are of various materials, including copper, jade, stone, lacquer, pottery, gold, lacquer wood, leather, and bamboo, according to Yang Jiyun, a researcher with the provincial institute of archaeology.
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| The 9 tombs are all large and medium-sized, of which M1, M5 and M6 are large tombs with openings above 6×4 metres, and the rest are medium-sized tombs [Credit: Shanxi Institute of Archaeology] |
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| Aerial view of Tombs M1 and M5 [Credit: Shanxi Institute of Archaeology] |
Nearly 50 sets of bronze wares with inscriptions were also discovered. The inscriptions are rich in content and clear in text, and the characters are still recognizable.
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| Bronze wares with inscriptions unearthed from Beibai'e Cemetery [Credit: Shanxi Institute of Archaeology] |
The tombs at the Beibai'e tomb site belonged to the nobles of the early Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), judging from the tombs' shape, form, and artefacts, said Yang.
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| Artefacts unearthed from Beibai'e Cemetery [Credit: Shanxi Institute of Archaeology] |
The excavation provides new insights for the study of the political system, demographic characteristics, and the social life of the period in the region.
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| Artefacts unearthed from Beibai'e Cemetery [Credit: Shanxi Institute of Archaeology] |
Archaeologists have excavated nine tombs covering some 1,200 square metres at the site in Yuncheng City of Shanxi since April.
Source: Xinhua News Agency [December 31, 2020]
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