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2500-year-old tomb uncovered
ARCHAEOLOGISTS have found a 2500-year-old tomb in eastern China containing 40 coffins that could provide rare clues to life in the region at the time.
The number of coffins found in the tomb in east China's Jiangxi province is unusual for that period in history, Fan Changsheng, director of the Jiangxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology, told Xinhua news agency yesterday.
Experts were wondering why so many were buried together and whose remains were contained in the coffins, he said.
The tomb in Lijia village in Jing'an county is believed to date back to the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770 to 221 BC).
A team of specialists will begin the delicate process of opening the coffins soon.
The discovery would provide valuable clues to the study of social customs, funeral rites and lifestyle in the area, Xinhua quoted archaeologists as saying.
"The mystery inside the coffins will be revealed then."
Archaeologists began protectively excavating the site in January to thwart grave robbers who had attempted to open the rare coffins.
The coffins were not damaged but some cultural relics were removed from the site, according to local police.
Some were later recovered, including bronze woodworking tools, lacquered spoons and wooden combs.
http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21498,21646189-5005361,00.html?from=public_rss
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