A tomb of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC to 24 AD) was discovered in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.
Discovered in Chongqing's Wanzhou district, the tomb was the biggest one unearthed in the Three Gorges area, archaeologists said.
The tomb was 11.2 meters in length, 9.4 meters in width, and 9.5 meters in depth, with an 11-meter entrance passage.
Archaeologists found fragments of over 20 pottery objects and bronze pieces in the tomb, but did not discover the identity of the tomb owners.
The tomb was part of a burial area known as Daqiuping with an acreage of 60,000 square meters, where 28 ancient Chinese tombs with over 800 pieces of pottery, porcelain, bronze and lacquer works were unearthed, said archaeologists.
The tomb would be helpful for research on funeral rituals and economic development in the area, archaeologists said.
(Xinhua News Agency March 19, 2004)
