Chinese archeologists in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region have discovered a cemetery of 120tombs dating back to the Warring States period and the Qin, Han and Tang dynasties, Guangming Daily reported Wednesday.
The 2,000-year-old tombs are situated 33 kilometers from Hohhot,capital of the region in north China. The area used to be an important political and military center in northern China during the Western Han Dynasty (206-24 B.C.) and has been listed by the regional government as a key cultural relics site under top state protection.
More than 600 rare cultural objects have been unearthed from the tombs. The most precious ones are jade, silver and gold ornaments which experts believe were meant to represent the socialstatus of tomb occupants.
It was found that the tombs of the Han Dynasty were built mainly with bricks and those of the Tang Dynasty were generally square-shaped. Each tomb is composed of an entry passage, a door and a main chamber.
( Xinhua News Agency November 28, 2001)
