Large-Scale Ancient Cemetery: 174 Tombs From 'Warring States' Period of China Discovered by Archaeologists

Archaeologists have found a large-scale ancient cemetery that contains numerous cultural relics and tombs in China.

Baizhuang Cemetery

Located at Xiangyang city at the northwestern Hubei province, the Balizhuang Cemetery was found by the Xiangyang Municipal Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology. The discovery was made last summer when excavations were held as part of infrastructural developments.

After conducting comprehensive cleaning, there were a total of 176 tombs identified by archaeologists at the site. Except for two tombs that date back to the Han dynasty period of China, the remaining ones are pit tombs that are from China's Warring States period.

The tombs include nine ones with medium sizes and sloped passages. Among these, the largest has a total length of over 30 feet and width of over 16 feet.

The other tombs discovered in the cemetery were smaller and did not have passages like the larger ones.

During excavations, the archaeologists also found over 500 cultural relics, which included hundreds of pottery pieces, dozens of bronze artifacts, which were primarily weapons, wooden utensils, such as combs, and other objects, such as jade rings.

In one large tomb called M3, archaeologists were able to find several artifacts, including spoons, swords, and ritual vessels. They also found a burial pit of a chariot and horse just at M3's northwest. The pit had two horses and a cart buried, though the cart was made of wood and had already decayed completely. Considering the M3 tomb's size, artifacts, and nearby house burial, researchers think that it was a tomb of a nobleman with high ranks.

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Warring States Period Discovery

This took place in B.C. 5 to B.C. 221. It was characterized by warfare between different kingdoms in China that battled for dominance. This period was considered one of the country's most influential eras in history. It ended with the establishment of China's first unified state.

Justin Winslett, a Chinese studies lecturer at the University of Sheffield, who did not participate in the excavations, explains that discoveries of sites from the Warring States period offer a great look into an era that is seminal but poorly known.

Winslett explains that this era serves as a classical period in the history of China and larger East Asia. It is where several cornerstones, including text, myth, and philosophy, are thought to have emerged.

The lecturer notes that, until recent decades, there has been minimal information regarding the lives and technologies of people from the Warring States period. However, in the past five decades, archaeological site discoveries from this period and other earlier times have greatly aided in shedding more light on the Warring States period.

Such discoveries have seen an acceleration in the last two decades due to growing infrastructure work uncovering sites in excavations. They have shaped our understanding of the Warring State period and also of several stories and texts that have been included for centuries in Chinese history.

Recent findings keep on offering more insights, as items that are more diverse get unearthed and as new artistic motifs and structures are found. These could suggest more diverse societies and cultures than were previously known.