Ancient tombs uncovered in China after decades of farmers clearing dirt from area
On a high plateau at the intersection of two rivers and a lake in eastern China, an open plain was scouted as the potential site for a new construction project.
But when surveyors measured the plain, it was irregular and the soil had varying levels of thickness.
Archaeologists were called in to make exploratory holes in the ground, and when they pulled the dirt to the surface it was filled with pieces of pottery, porcelain, plant ash and shells, according to a May 15 news release from Jinan Archaeological Research Institute.
The archaeologists spoke to the local community who said farmers had been going to the plain for decades, particularly in the 1960s and 1970s to get soil for their agricultural practices and had taken layers of the soil.
What they didn’t know was that they were slowly exposing what was hidden underneath: a massive ancient cemetery.
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The farmers removed about 10 feet of soil over time, the researchers said, and an expanse of tombs were just 5 feet below the surface, according to the release.
As excavations began, researchers uncovered tombs from multiple dynasties and at varying layers of depth.
In total, 241 tombs, 101 burn pits, two burn ditches, two wells and one stove have been identified, belonging to 10 different time periods, according to the release.
Some tombs were buried in the Longshan Dynasty between 2600 and 2000 B.C., while others are dated to the Han Dynasty nearly 2,000 years later, researchers said.
In the older tombs, archaeologists found mirrors, coins, ornaments and spears made of copper, plows and swords made of iron, multiple types of pottery vases, and plates and lacquerware tiles.
In the newer tombs, many from the Warring States Period of 475 to 221 B.C., archaeologists found jars, beans, bowls, cups and spears placed on top of brick tombs.
One tomb was shaped like the handle of a knife, the researchers said, and contained 50 Tang tricolor pieces and more than 20 porcelain pieces.
Along with the tombs, the archaeologists uncovered burn or ash pits that had a circular or elliptical shape and were made from gray and black soil.
The burial site was once situated next to the ancient city of Jinan, archaeologists said, but the city was later moved west.
Records show the original Jinan was built during the Song Dynasty, but the specific location during the Jin and Tang dynasties remains a mystery, according to the release.
The discovery of this burial site will help archaeologists in the search for the original setting of the city, the researchers said.
Baidu Translate was used to translate the news release from the Jinan Archaeological Research Institute.
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