SCMP reported that about 1,800 years ago, a clan in eastern China built three magnificent tombs as a final resting place for their loved ones.
However, one of the tombs was never discovered, the other two tombs were forgotten for centuries, leaving them unchanged for countless generations.
By the end of 2023, workers while expanding the park in Son Dong province discovered part of the damaged earthen embankment and began digging.
The Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences said: Although two of the three tombs excavated in the Dazhuangzi cemetery have been robbed, the structures of the tombs are still relatively clear and a large number of relics have been excavated.
Rarely, two of the three tombs excavated had seals and were with the Huan family. The tombs date from the Western Han Dynasty (from 202 BC to AD 9), especially noteworthy thanks to their clear structure with typical residential characteristics.
The tomb is well preserved, with a tomb gate, a path and a coffin room. Although the coffin is well preserved, the bones inside have been decomposed for thousands of years.
The Institute of Archaeology said that the discovery of the elaborately crafted coffin structure, especially the coffin carrying vehicle, provided valuable documents to study the burial customs of the Han Dynasty along the southeastern coast of Son Dong.
The relics include pottery, an iron sword, a bronze mirror and a series of wooden objects. In addition, there are lacquer cups - which can be used to drink old wine - buried in a large box at this location.
A particularly prominent discovery is the seal of the Huan family with the shape of a turtle made of bronze.
The excavation took place from December 2023 to January 2024 in Nhat Chieu, a coastal city famous for promoting a regenerative lifestyle. The city requires new buildings to install solar power, and in 2009, the United Nations said it was one of the world's most livable cities.
Archaeologists believe that these tombs date back to the Han Dynasty.
The Han Dynasty was the second dynasty in Chinese history, founded by the leader of the Peasantonging movement Liu Bang and ruled by the Liu family. The Han Dynasty was temporarily interrupted when the main figure Vuong Mang took power, establishing the Tan Dynasty (9-23). It existed through two periods: Tay Han (202 B.C. - 9 AD) and Dong Han (25/20).
spanning more than four centuries, the Han Dynasty has been considered a golden dynasty in Chinese history for its economic successes and leaping in science and technology, such as paper production, the introduction of negative numbers into toanism and even early earthquake detection technology.
