An ancient tomb uncovered during construction of a subway line between Xintiandi and the future World Expo site on Monday contains the remains of at least two couples who lived during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), archaeologists said yesterday.

The tomb was discovered by workers during construction of Metro Line 9 at the intersection of Xujiahui Road and Huangpi Road S. in Luwan District.

Archaeologists are sure two of the bodies are female, including one that is very well preserved, and speculate the two other bodies are their spouses.

"In some ways, the tomb and the well-preserved body once again symbolized the city's economic status more than 700 years ago," said He Jiying, an archaeologist with the Shanghai Cultural Relics Management Commission who worked on the site.

She said the site where the tomb was found was commonly used to bury the dead hundreds of years ago when it sat on the outskirt of the city.

During excavation since Monday, He and her colleagues unearthed a batch of artifacts from the coffins including a bronze mirror, embroidered cloth and a pair of metal earrings.

Mercury drops were found on the well-preserved female body, proving that rich people had started using mercury to preserve bodies during the Ming Dynasty.

That also shows the level of social wealth during the period, archaeologists said.

More than 300 ancient tombs have been dug up in the city's downtown core. In November 2004, a Ming Dynasty tomb was found in Yangpu District by construction workers.

Shanghai began as Huating County in 751 in today's Songjiang District. In 1292, the then central government established Shanghai County in the area.
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(Shanghai Daily November 22, 2006)