Jin Dynasty Tombs Uncovered in Northern China

CHANGZHI, CHINA—Live Science reports that three opulently decorated brick tombs unearthed during salvage excavations in Shanxi Province date to the Jin Dynasty, whose leaders ruled in northern China from 1115 to 1234. The Jin were not ethnically Han—the largest ethnic group in China today—but descended from a seminomadic Tungusic-speaking people from northeastern China. Jin emperors came to power in the wake of a revolt against Liao Dynasty rule in northern China, and controlled what had been Liao territory until they were conquered by the Mongols in the thirteenth century A.D. The tombs feature carved arches, doors, and windows, as well as painted murals of human figures and floral motifs. Inscriptions inside the chambers record information about historical events and geography of the Jin period. Paintings in one of the tombs, however, are rendered in different colors and depict different flora and fauna than the other two. To read more about the turbulent period in which the Jin Dynasty rose to power, go to "Weapons of the Ancient World: Fire Lances and Cannons."