Chinese archaeologists have stumbled upon a rare set of three 1,800-year-old tombs in the southeastern city of Rizhao, filled to the brim with an ancient family’s treasure.
While two of them appear to have been “seriously stolen”, the third one remained largely untouched, according to a statement from the Institute of Archaeology at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
“One tomb is well preserved, and more than 70 pieces of various burial goods have been unearthed,” the institute said.
However, all the human bones have decayed in the tombs, and the burial ceremony is unknown, researchers say.
The tombs sharing a similar design are located 400 miles from Beijing and likely date back to the powerful Han dynasty, which ruled over the region for four centuries from 206 BC to 220 AD.
“Judging from the form of the tomb and the unearthed burial goods, the situation of the tombs in the middle and late Western Han Dynasty found in this area is roughly the same, and it should also belong to the middle and late Western Han Dynasty,” scientists wrote.
The tombs were found during renovations at a local park, and further excavation unearthed 70 burial goods from the tombs, including bronze mirrors and several pottery.
There were also a turtle button bronze seal, lacquered cases, wooden barrels, ear cups, and glazed pottery uncovered at the site.
One of the tombs also contained mirror brushes, bamboo hairpins, copper seals, copper hooks, iron swords, and other burial goods, archaeologists noted.
Researchers also found that the coffins could be accessed through common passageways, which were also connected to rooms with doors and windows.
An unearthed seal suggests the owner of one of the tombs is "Huan Jia".
Two tombs contained inscriptions of the surname “Huan”, hinting at a familial connection, likely the final resting place of a married couple.
“What is rare is that two of the three tombs have been unearthed with seals and the same surname is Huan, so it can be inferred that the cemetery should belong to the tombs of the Huan family,” the institute said.
Archaeologists also found the “exquisitely crafted and uncommon” traces of a coffin carriage with “two round wooden wheels” likely used to transport the deceased to the grave site.
“It was an important discovery of tombs in the Han Dynasty in recent years along the southeast coast of Shandong,” archaeologists said.
Scientists hope further analysis of the “exquisite” coffin structure and cart fragments could reveal valuable insights into burial customs of the Han Dynasty.
