London, Sept 2 (ANI): The remains of horses and wooden chariots have been unearthed from a Zhou Dynasty tomb in Luoyang, Henan Province, China that dates back almost 3,000-years.
The completed excavation unearthed four horse-and-chariot pits, dating back to as far as 770BC, and the pits have well-preserved evidence of bronze ware and ceramics from the Early Western Zhou dynasty.
Though a far smaller tomb than the famous "terracotta army" found in 1974 in the Lintong District, this find has been undisturbed while buried - not suffering the ravages of grave robbers, the Daily Mail reported.
Archaeologists believe that the tomb belongs to an official of some renown during the dynasty - pottery, metal weaponry and inscriptions are consisted with a man of mid-level importance.
Apart from the artifacts themselves, the tomb is an exciting discovery for historians, as it provides unquestionable insights into the funeral customs in the early Western Zhou dynasty.
The unearthed tomb is a vertical earthen pit tomb, which is very common in that period, and because of the ancient nature of the site, the traditionally wooden coffin and body within have long-since carbonised.
But the most valuable discovery by far is the complete set of chariots and horses of all different shapes and sizes.
Archaeologists say the side-lying nature of the horse remains show that the animals were slaughtered before burial, and not entombed alive. (ANI)
|
|
Comments:
