Archaeologists discovers 165 thousand-year-old tombs in east China

Archaeologists have discovered a total of 165 thousand-year-old tombs at a single relic site in Shandong Province, east China.

The tombs, unearthed in the city of Heze, include 156 that date back to the Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD) and nine from the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770-221 BC), according to the Institute of Cultural Relics and archeology of Shandong.

All the tombs belong to the 1.3 hectare Sundayuan site, whose recent excavations have also revealed five pits from the Shang dynasty (1600-1046 BC) and 27 from the Neolithic Longshan culture, said Sun Qirui, an archaeologist from the institute.

Sun said that among the Han Dynasty tombs were earthen graves with brick coffins and pottery figurines, and brick graves with passage structures.

Although few artefacts were found in the Shang Dynasty pits, the pits of the Longshan culture are home to many artifacts, including pieces of pottery bearing different designs, he said.

The long duration of the Sundayuan site offered valuable insight into cultural evolution and integration in the region, researchers said. (Xinhua / NAN)

(NAN)