Millennium-old tomb unearthed in China's Shaanxi

XI'AN -- Archaeologists have excavated a high-ranking tomb from China's Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534) in northwestern Shaanxi province, unveiling over 100 artifacts, including epitaph inscriptions and pottery figurines.

The tomb, believed to belong to Sun Dingren, a regional governor during the Northern Wei period, was discovered in Gaozhuang town of Jingyang county, Xianyang city, during an excavation initiated due to a local construction project.

Well-preserved and structurally intact, the burial site is considered one of the highest-ranking Northern Wei tombs with clear chronological and titular records found in recent years around Xi'an, the provincial capital.

The south-facing tomb extends about 42 meters in total length, and consists of a passageway, sealed doors, a corridor and a main chamber accompanied by an eastern side chamber. The main chamber covers an area of about 35 square meters.

A total of 164 sets of funerary objects were unearthed from the main chamber, including a stone epitaph, an array of pottery figurines, and miniature ceramic models of drums, bowls, pots, lamps, stoves, granaries and wells.

The excavation offers valuable archaeological materials for the study of Northern Wei burial customs, social structure and material culture.