Cluster of Tombs Unearthed in Western China

News February 1, 2013

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XINJIANG, CHINA—A cluster of more than 100 tombs dating to the Tang Dynasty (618–907 A.D.) has been uncovered on the Pamir Plateau in western China. Many of the tombs had been built for infants. Archaeologists found wooden caskets covered with felt, in addition to stoneware, pottery, and copper artifacts. Some of the burials also contained utensils made from gourds. “The burial custom is the first of its kind to be found in Xinjiang,” said Ai Tao of the Xinjiang Archaeological Institute.

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