1,500-Year-Old Tomb Discovered in Central China

ANYANG, CHINA—China Daily reports that a tomb dated to the Sui Dynasty (A.D. 581–618) has been unearthed in central China’s Henan Province. The tomb, which contains a coffin bed and screen made of white marble carved with patterns resembling those found in Zoroastrianism and Buddhism, belonged to a previously unknown couple named Qu Qing. An epigraph found in the tomb records events in the couple’s lives and offers new information about the development of calligraphy during the Sui Dynasty. “The Qu family lived in the Longxi area, which occupied the main part of the Silk Road for a long time, so they were deeply influenced by European, West Asian, and Central Asian cultures,” explained Kong Deming of the Anyang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology. White porcelain tomb figures produced at the Xiangzhou kiln in Anyang were also recovered from the tomb. Kong said the figures will help researchers understand the development of such porcelain. To read about a 13,500-year-old bird sculpture found in Henan, go to "Oldest Chinese Artwork," one of ARCHAEOLOGY's Top 10 Discoveries of 2020.