Tomb raided by grave robbers held ancient couple in China — and 2,000-year-old relics
A set of tombs were discovered in central China when grave robbers went on the hunt for an ancient cemetery. They found what they were looking for — and much more.
Archaeologists in Linfen City learned a series of tombs were raided in 2014, according to a March 18 news release from the Shanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology, and they went to investigate.
They found about hundreds of thousands of square meters of a cemetery north of the city had been unearthed, the institute said.
This included five tombs dated to the Spring and Autumn period, also known as 770 to 476 B.C. during the first half of the Zhou dynasty, according to Britannica. The period was known as a time of turmoil for those in power as the imperial house lost influence and smaller, local leaders took hold, according to Britannica.
When the archaeologists began excavating the raided tombs, they found a large number of bronze artifacts dated to the same period.
Among them were a standing eared tripod, a dun-shaped pot, a mirror, a plate, a bell and a hoop, Heritage Daily reported.
Two tombs in the group were connected, and held a couple likely part of the high ranking officials battling for power, according to the institute.
They were buried together on a two-story platform inside the tomb made from stacked stones, according to the release.
There were more bronze tripods and a type of bronze container inside the tomb, along with stone chimes.
The archaeologists said the tripods were likely a gift from the emperor at the time that was given to lords and high-ranking officials of the Yuan dynasty, according to the release.
Wang Jingya, the leader of the archaeological excavation project, said the artifacts carry the typical Jin style of a coiled dragon pattern, according to the release. The pattern matches one created at a nearby ancient copper casting site, suggesting the items were traded or distributed in the area through commerce, the institute said.
Copper figurines and plates were also found at the site, the archaeologists said.
Linfen City is about a 375-mile drive southwest from Beijing.
Baidu Translate was used to translate the news release from the Shanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology.
This story was originally published March 21, 2024 at 10:03 AM with the headline "Tomb raided by grave robbers held ancient couple in China — and 2,000-year-old relics."
