Archaeologists find 570 ancient tombs in central China

A staff member checks a white marble bed uncovered from a tomb dating back to the Sui Dynasty (581-618) in Anyang, central China's Henan Province, Dec. 24, 2020. (Xinhua/Li An)

ZHENGZHOU, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Archaeologists discovered a cluster of 570 ancient tombs dating back to a period spanning from the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC) to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) in Sanmenxia City, central China's Henan Province.

All the ancient tombs were situated at the Shanzhoucheng cemetery site, in the west of the city, which was under excavation from Sept. 2021 to Sept. 2022, according to Sanmenxia city institute of cultural relics and archaeology.

From the tombs, archaeologists unearthed more than 3,000 burial objects, including bronze tripods, pots, and plates. Notably, three sets of bronze chimes from the Warring States Period (475-221 BC) were found for the first time since the city's establishment.

"Among the ancient tombs, 228 date back to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period," said Yan Fei with the institute. "They are densely distributed, and the arrangement of the tombs is relatively orderly."

Yan added that the entire cemetery layout of Shanzhoucheng is well-preserved and orderly, providing valuable archaeological data for the study of cemetery layouts and socio-political changes during the period in western Henan Province.