Tombs of an official and his wife discovered

Two large brick tombs were discovered in Daliang, Chengdu, China. The tombstones in the tombs state that they were built for a high official and his wife.

The tomb of He Tan and his wife (by Xinhua)

Archaeologists believe that the tombs in Chengdu can be dated to the Song Dynasty (960-1279). Excavations revealed more than 60 artefacts deposited as grave goods within the tombs. Moreover, the tombstones belonging to the burials gave the name of the official – He Tan. It was established that he was a high official during Northern Song Dynasty.

Aerial photo of the site (by Xinhua)

The inscriptions that accompany the burials also provide a record of the land purchase. The tombs are solid constructions made of brick. They contained numerous artefacts, including clay figurines – both intact and damaged. They were buried with He Tan, his wide and his parents. The artefacts are now undergoing cleaning and conservation by specialists.

Cleaning of a coloured figurine (by Xinhua)
Pieces of figurines (by Xinhua)

(after Xinhua)

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