Emily Chan
Within three ancient Chinese tombs, a remarkable discovery has been made in the form of dozens of funerary relics.
According to the Institute of Archaeology at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, two of the tombs had bronze seals labeled with the same surname of “Huan,” which means that they belonged to the same family, making it a one-of-a-kind find.
The tombs were unearthed at the Dahuangzi Cemetery located in Rizhao, a city on the east coast of China.
They date back to the Han Dynasty, which spanned from 206 B.C. to A.D. 220. This period of time is considered a golden age in the history of China.
Each of the three tombs was built to hold two people. They contained wooden coffins, and the entrances featured sloping passageways. During ancient times, two of the tombs were looted, while the third remained well-preserved.
The first tomb, referred to as M1, was robbed of almost all of its possessions. Only a few funerary objects were still left, such as a glazed pottery pot. Thieves had also plundered the second tomb, M2, which was located to the southeast of M1.
There was nothing except for more glazed pottery pots, bamboo hairpins, iron swords, and other artifacts.
In the tomb, a bronze seal engraved with the name “Huan Jia” revealed the owner’s identity. The coffins in both tombs were filled with decayed human bones.
The third tomb, M3, stands in stark contrast to its looted counterparts. It is the only one that is in good condition. It was erected to the east of M1.
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