Top 6 archaeological discoveries of 2024 released

5. The Wuwangdun No 1 tomb dates back to the late Warring States Period (475-221 BC) in Huainan, Anhui province

The Wuwangdun mausoleum located in Huainan, Anhui province, is a large high-level tomb of the Chu state from the late Warring States Period covering an area of approximately 1.5 million square meters, enclosed by a moat with a perimeter of nearly 5000 meters. The mausoleum has a main tomb (tomb No. 1), a large chariot, horse pits and large accompanying tombs. The mausoleum is the largest, highest-level, and most complex structured high-level tomb of the Chu state discovered through scientific excavation. It provides systematic archaeological data for the study of the high-level tomb system of the Chu state in the late Warring States period and the historical and cultural developments after the Chu's eastward migration. Through studies, it is preliminarily believed that the owner of this tomb is probably King Kaolie of the Chu state.