Han-Dynasty Chinese Family Tombs Filled with Treasures Found

Archaeologists have discovered three remarkable Han Dynasty tombs in Rizhao, China, while construction was underway for the enlarging of a local park. The three tombs were discovered in a partially damaged mound and contain the remains of a wealthy family, along with a host of treasures: as many as 70 artifacts have been uncovered so far.

What is truly fascinating about the 1,800-year-old tombs however is the design. These are residential-style tombs, featuring doors and windows, with one containing multiple interconnecting rooms.

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The intact tomb consists of two interconnected rooms in a residential style, and it is believed that a married couple belonging to the Chinese Huan family were laid to rest here (Institute of Archaeology at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)

According to the Institute of Archaeology at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, this design includes wooden windows and doors in a series of linked rooms, reports Popular Mechanics. Furthermore, a family surname has been found on two of the tombs: these belonged to the Huan family.

A Family’s Treasure

Two of the tombs had been looted at some point, with many of their contents lost to history. But the third tomb, known as M3 and believed to contain a married couple, had all its treasures intact.

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Pottery discovered in the Chinese family tomb (Institute of Archaeology at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)

This tomb consisted of two rooms connect by a doorway. The miniature wooden doors and windows in this tomb that linked the two rooms were supposed to imitate a residential style, according to archaeologists.

The 70 artifacts recovered from the tomb complex so far suggest that this was a high-status, wealthy family. These include an iron sword, bronze mirrors, and a multitude of pottery.

Wooden coffins have also been found, along with the remains of a wooden coffin carriage, used to transport the body to its final resting place in the tomb. This unusual find has been described by the archaeologists studying the tomb complex as “exquisitely crafted.”

Artifacts recovered from the tomb complex included this sword (Institute of Archaeology at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)

Furthermore, it is very unusual to find a family name which links the tombs. The tombs also all share thew same basic layout, with a sloped entrance tunnel leading to the individual chambers deep inside the mound.

The excavation of the tombs in Rizhao started last December and ended a month later. Rizhao, which is sometimes translated as Jihchao, is a city in Shandong province on the eastern coast of China, 400 miles (650 km) southeast of Beijing.

Top Image: The three tombs were all built by the same Chinese family, and while two of them had been looted the third, “M3” was intact. Source: Institute of Archaeology at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

By Joseph Green