XI'AN, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese archaeologists have excavated a large-scale tomb dating back to the 4th century in Shaanxi Province, northwest China, according to the Shaanxi Academy of Archaeology.
Suspected to be a royal tomb from the Sixteen Kingdoms period (304-439), the tomb, despite having been looted, has retained its complete layout and structure. During excavation, only 17 artifacts have been unearthed from it, including a porcelain vessel with tea-dust glaze, a type of artifact rarely found in other tombs of the same period.
Yu Chunlei, associate researcher at the academy and head of the excavation effort, said that among the three earthen architectural structures discovered in the tomb, the one on the ceiling of the front chamber is a mock-wood pyramidal roof featuring a flat top. At its center is a carved nine-square grid caisson ceiling, representing the first such example found in Sixteen Kingdoms archaeology and which holds significant research value.
The caisson ceiling is a traditional Chinese decorative ceiling motif, found on the tops of many grottoes and temples in areas west of the Yellow River in north China. It was the first discovery of the design within a tomb, which reflects the cultural integration of the Sixteen Kingdoms period, according to Yu.
The tomb measures 85 meters from north to south. Archaeologists have also excavated three other tombs and a pottery kiln in Weicheng District of the city of Xianyang in Shaanxi. ■
