Chinese city discovers 1,800-year-old family tombs while trying to expand a local park
- It is believed tomb belonged to a family from Western Han dynasty (202BC - AD9)
Around 1,800 years ago, a family in eastern China built three elaborate tombs that would become the final resting places for their loved ones, but two of the ancient burial sites became popular targets for looters who scraped the sites clean.
But, one of the tombs was never discovered, and the other two were forgotten centuries ago, leaving them to lie without disturbance over countless generations.
Then, in late 2023, workers developing a local park expansion in Shandong province in eastern China discovered a partially damaged mound, and the excavation process began.
“Although two of the three tombs excavated in Dazhuangzi Cemetery were robbed, the structure of the tombs was relatively clear, and a large number of precious cultural relics were still unearthed,” said the Institute of Archaeology under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in an announcement.
“What is rare is that two of the three tombs were unearthed with seals and shared the surname Huan. Therefore, it can be inferred that the tomb probably belonged to the Huan family.”
The tombs date back to the Western Han dynasty (202BC-9AD), and the untouched tomb was “particularly noteworthy” for its clear structure, allowing the scientists to determine that it had obvious residential characteristics.
