1,000-Year-Old Tomb Found in Northern China

JINZHONG, CHINA—Xinhua reports that a tomb thought to date to the Great Jin Dynasty (A.D. 1115–1234) was discovered in northern China’s Shanxi Province during a road construction project. The octagonal tomb measures about 12 feet tall and contains an archway painted red. It has a floor made with black bricks, and its walls are outlined in black and decorated with poems and murals, including images of flower stands and red vases. “A total of four poems were inscribed on the surrounding walls with regular script to depict the scenery in late spring,” said Zhao Hui of the Shanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology. Two skeletons were also found in the tomb. Zhao said the tomb’s decorations might reflect the traditional tomb style of the period, or may have been based upon the owners’ personal preferences. To read about murals in another Chinese tomb, go to “Tomb Couture.”