About 500 Ancient Tombs From Various Dynasties Were Discovered Under A Zoo In China
Within the grounds of the Guangzhou Zoo in South China’s Guangdong Province, nearly 150 tombs were uncovered during recent excavations. The tombs span thousands of years and were from various dynasties.
Since the start of the original construction of the zoo in 1956, archaeologists have unearthed about 500 ancient tombs across 30 locations on the zoo’s grounds. But earlier this year, they found 148 more.
Alongside these tombs, there were almost 200 artifacts, including pottery, porcelain, bead ornaments, and bronze and jade objects.
Together, the findings provide researchers with an opportunity to study the evolution of the region’s burial practices in detail.
Archaeologists from the Guangzhou Municipal Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology dug up the tombs in a 13,993-square-foot area of the zoo.
Four of the tombs were from the Han Dynasty, which lasted from 206 B.C.E. to 220 C.E., making them the oldest.
Eight tombs were from the Jin and Southern Dynasties, 15 originated from the Tang Dynasty, 121 were from the more recent Ming and Qing Dynasties, and 48 stemmed from the early years of the People’s Republic of China.
Overall, the tombs span more than 2,100 years of history. Two tombs from the Jin Dynasty (265 to 420 A.D.) and the Southern Dynasty (420 to 589 A.D.) were of particular interest due to their condition.
“The discovery of these two tombs is of great significance to the study of burial shapes, stages, and funeral customs during the Six Dynasties period (222 to 589) in Guangzhou, as well as to the research on the construction technology during the Jin and Southern dynasties’ architecture,” said Cheng Hao, an official from the Guangzhou Municipal Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology.
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The Eastern Jin Dynasty tomb was about 33 feet long. For being over 1,700 years old, it was in excellent condition.
It showed no signs of major damage except for a hole above the main sealing door, which was likely made by a looter. According to experts, it is the largest and most well-preserved tomb from that era in Guangzhou.
The Southern Dynasty tomb was smaller and meant for a married couple. It was also looted, but most of the structure is still intact.
In addition, the researchers found 48 gravestones. They all came from the period of the Republic of China.
A pattern emerged in the orientation and scale of the tombs, particularly within the Ming and Qing Dynasty burial chambers.
They were arranged with specific gaps between each tomb. The organization method suggested that a lot of care and planning were put into a cemetery location, and it would last a significant amount of time.
The Guangzhou Municipal Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology is offering educational tours to zoo visitors so they can learn more about the country’s history.
As the archaeologists continue to analyze the tombs and artifacts, they hope to gain more information about the burial practices and social customs of ancient China.
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