Jakarta, IO – As many as 300 tombs estimated to be 4,500 years old were discovered in Henan Province, central China. They were said to have great significance in helping archaeologists study the Chinese burial system and social structure in the prehistoric era.
Situated at the Suyang heritage site in Luoyang City, the tomb complex covers an area of about 15,000 square meters, and all the tombs are rectangular in shape, according to the Luoyang City Archaeological Institute.
“The tomb complex is enormous and can be traced back to the transitional period of the Yangshao culture to Longshan culture. The discovery of this tomb complex is extremely rare in Zhongyuan, known as the central plain region,” said Ren Guang, head of the excavation projects, reported Antara, Friday (30/12).
Archaeologists have so far uncovered nine tombs, and 10 skeletons were found in the tombs. Some of the tombs show evidence of extensive damage by tomb raiders. Preliminary excavations show the tomb complex can be traced back to the early period of Longshan culture.
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The Suyang heritage site covers an area over 600,000 square meters. Luoyang City Archaeological Institute launched an excavation project in early 2021. (rr)