Chinese archaeologists have unearthed a unique arched tomb
dating back to the Western Jin Dynasty (A.D. 265 to 317) in east
China's Jiangxi Province.
The tomb was discovered at a highway construction site at Huopen
Village, in Wanli District of Nanchang, the provincial capital.
Consisting of three chambers and covering 60 square meters, the
tomb was built with carved bricks featuring a delicate netlike
pattern.
The structure, with a pinnacle-shaped structure atop the
chambers, was unique among ancient tombs unearthed in southern
China, said Zhou Guangming, a researcher with the provincial
institute of archeology.
The structure would strengthen under the pressure of the
impacted earth outside, Zhou said.
"It is rare to discover such a huge civilian tomb from the
Western Jin Dynasty," he said, adding it would provide valuable
clues for the study of tomb structures and culture in south China
during the dynasty.
The archaeologists also unearthed porcelain items from the tomb
and they suggested the surrounding area might have been a
graveyard.
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(Xinhua News Agency May 10, 2006)
