Discovery of Over 3,200 Ancient Tombs in 3,000-Year-Old Chinese Ruins
Archaeologists announced on Monday a remarkable discovery of 3,228 tombs within ancient ruins dating back more than 3,000 years in the Qinghai province of northwest China.
Situated in Balong Township within Dulan County, these ruins are believed to constitute a complex amalgamation of tombs and dwellings that existed during the period spanning from 1,500 BC to 1,000 BC.
In a collaborative effort between the Provincial Research Academy of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology, along with Northwest University, an excavation initiative commenced in 2021, according to reports from the Chinese News Agency (XINHUA).
Leading the excavation project, Du Wei stated that the research has uncovered three separate cemeteries encompassing an expansive 120,000 square meters, with 52 tombs having been meticulously unearthed thus far.
The assortment of artifacts unearthed includes pottery, bronze utensils, jade artifacts, intricately woven fabrics, human skeletal remains, as well as traces of animals and plants. These findings have provided an abundant trove of materials for the study of the Nuomuhong culture, as explained by Du.
The Nuomuhong culture, which boasts distinctive Qinghai characteristics, stands as an archaeological representation of the Bronze Age, primarily concentrated in the Qaidam Basin and its proximate environs.
Speaking at a recent gathering of experts focused on these ruins, Huo Wei, a professor from Sichuan University, emphasized that this excavation has confirmed the extensive historical legacy of the Qaidam Basin, significantly contributing to the study of the ancient civilizations that once thrived on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
