Nearly 150 burial chambers spanning 2100 years found under China zoo
Ming tombs
A zoo in China’s southeastern Guangdong province has thrown up a stunning surprise. Archaeologists have unearthed nearly 150 tombs at the zoo belonging to a range of historical eras. According to China’s Xinhua News Agency, the tombs were discovered between April and July 2024, and span more than 2,100 years of history.
Tombs belonging to the Ming and Qing Dynasties that ruled China between 1368 AD and 1911 AD numbered the most at 120. Four tombs are from the Han Dynasty (206 BC and 220 AD) and eight were from the Jin and Southern Dynasties (265-589 AD). Fifteen of the burials were from the Tang Dynasty of 618-907 AD.
Tombs from the early years of today's China are also a part of the discovery. Researchers say that 48 tombs belong to the Republic of China (1912-49) era.
Researchers are hoping that the discovery of a nearly intact tomb from the Eastern Jin Dynasty and a well-preserved tomb from the Southern Dynasty will help them learn more about the construction technology used by them. The customs followed to decide tomb shapes, stages, and funeral rites during the Six Dynasties period in Guangzhou are also a matter of intrigue.
Ming and Qing-era tombs reveal the highly organised manner in which the burial site was formed. Consistent spacing patterns between tombs threw light on the way the cemetery was planned.
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Burial sites and tombs prove to be a treasure trove of information as they carry several more hints as to how a particular culture functioned.
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About 1300 square metres (14000 sq ft) of area at the site was found to be hiding nearly 200 pieces of pottery and porcelain, bronze, jade, and bead ornaments.
Since the tombs belong to varied times in China's history, the discovery of these artefacts can reveal how the cultures changed socially, economically, politically and ideologically over time.
The zoo has been a site of interest for years and several excavations have been carried out since its construction in 1956. Nearly 500 ancient tombs have been unearthed in over 30 locations at the site to date.
One such excavation revealed one of the largest and best-preserved tombs belonging to the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420 AD). The tomb is almost intact and 10 metres long.
Another tomb from the Southern Dynasties tomb has been a subject of interest as it acted like a joint burial for a married couple that is yet to be identified.
But the recently discovered tombs are “very densely distributed”, making them stand out as different from the previous digs.
