1,500-Year-Old Nobleman’s Tomb Found in Eastern China

ZHENJIANG, CHINA—Xinhua reports that 13 tombs dated to the Six Dynasties period (A.D. 220–589) were found during recent excavations in eastern China’s Jiangsu Province. The owner of Tomb 6 has been identified as Zhao Xuanzhi, the uncle of an emperor who ruled during the Southern Dynasty, between A.D. 420 and 589, through the discovery of his personal six-sided bronze seal in the tomb. “The age of the tomb is consistent with historical records,” added Li Xidong of the Cultural Relics and Archaeology Institute of Zhenjiang. An altar was also uncovered at the front of the brick tomb chamber. Li explained that most of the tombs in the cemetery have been dated to the Eastern Jin Dynasty, from A.D. 266 to 420, and reflect the southward movement of people during this period. To read about a jar of 2,500-year-old eggs recovered from a tomb in Jiangsu, go to "Picnic for the Afterlife."