Chinese archaeologists have discovered a warriors cemetery
dating back to the Warring State (475-221 BC) in central China's Henan Province.
The graveyard was found during implementation of a culture
relics protection project at Wuligang Hill of Tangyin County.
The warriors cemetery covers an area of 200,000 square meters
where more than 200 tombs had already been unearthed. There is an
estimation of 500 tombs in the cemetery, according to the
archaeologists.
"No funeral objects were unearthed. The tomb owners were all
young male people, " said Kong Demin, an official with local
archaeology department, adding the clues proves that the tombs were
warriors tombs.
"The tombs, all in same construction form, are lining up in
order," he said. This also indicates the area was used as warriors
cemetery.
Archaeologists had discovered some tombs near the area in 1982,
the expert said.
During the excavations in 1982, many skeletons with wound marks
from knife-cuts or arrow-hits were unearthed from the tombs, he
added.
"A famous war between ancient Chinese kingdoms, involved over
100,000 warriors, occurred at a battlefield, where Tangyin county
lies, in 257 B.C.," said Hao Benxing, researcher with the Henan
Provincial Institute of Culture Relics and Archaeology.
(Xinhua News Agency October 14, 2006)
