55 Large Tombs Found in Fangcheng, Nanyang, Henan Province

    Recently archaeologists from the Nanyang Municipal Archaeological Institute discovered 55 large-scale tombs in Chengguan Town, Fangcheng County in Nanyang, dating from the Warring States to the Han period. By far 35 tombs have been unveiled, yielding about 200 objects.
    The cemetery is located on an earthen hill spreading from north to south in the west of the county town. Most tombs are small in size and in pit shape with a shaft. The burial articles include ceramics, bronzes, irons, etc. Ceramics are Ding tripods, bottles, Dou stemmed containers, jars, bowls; bronzes are belt buckles, animal head appliqués holding rings, ornaments, coins; irons are Fu pots and adzes.
    Judging from shapes of the unearthed tombs and the burial objects, the cemetery could date back to the Warring States period to the Han period. The tomb occupants should be lower in rank. Most of them, probably, were common people or landlords. It was reported that during the past years’ construction of the Xu-Ping-Nan Highway, which ran through one kilometer north of the cemetery, a number of tombs of the same periods had been excavated by the Henan Provincial Archaeological Institute; a group of jade objects of the Warring States periods was also found at construction sites to the west of the cemetery. Therefore the hill could hold an attached burial site of certain ancient settlement. The discovery of the cemetery provides us important material information for the researches on the history, culture, religion and burial custom of Fangcheng County.    
    Currently further excavations to the rest tombs are under way.   （Translated by Tong Tao）