Skeletons found under old well believed to be slaves

Archaeologists in north China's Hebei Province said Friday that the skeletons found under the ruins of a 4,000-year-old well may belong to slaves sacrificed after the death of their masters.

Five layers of human skeletons were found under the ruins of the ancient well, with some of them show signs of struggle before death, said Qiao Dengyun, head of the cultural relics protection bureau in the city of Handan, where the relics were discovered.

"It seems that some even had their head chopped off," Qiao said.

Archaeologists believe the remains belong to slaves who were killed or buried alive with their dead masters, which, according to historical records, was practiced in China thousands of years ago.