Chinese archaeologists have discovered a rare 1,800-year-old tomb in Rizhao, southeastern China, largely untouched and filled with over 70 burial goods. The tomb is part of a set of three, but the other two were seriously looted, according to the Institute of Archaeology at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
The well-preserved tomb dates back to the middle to late Western Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD). Artifacts include bronze mirrors, pottery, a turtle button bronze seal, lacquered cases, wooden barrels, ear cups, glazed pottery, mirror brushes, bamboo hairpins, copper seals, copper hooks, and iron swords.
A seal bearing the name “Huan Jia” suggests the tomb owner, and inscriptions with the surname “Huan” on two tombs indicate a family cemetery, possibly for a married couple. All human bones have decayed, leaving burial customs unknown.
Archaeologists also found traces of an “exquisitely crafted” coffin carriage with two wooden wheels, used to transport the deceased. This discovery is considered an important find for Han Dynasty tombs along the southeast coast of Shandong.
