Ancient tomb with murals discovered in E China

Archaeologists in east China's Jiangxi Province on Thursday announced that they have discovered rare mural paintings with vibrant colors in a 600-year-old tomb.

The tomb, dating back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), was unearthed at the site of a parking lot being built in Xingzi County, the Archaeology Institute of Xingzi County said.

The wall paintings feature peonies, lotuses, chrysanthemums and sticks of bamboo with red, black, blue and yellow hues, and show a strong religious influence, the institute said.

The tomb has not been damaged by thieves or vandals, but most of the murals are in poor condition, except for some well-preserved paintings covering 0.5 square meters on the eastern wall.

Tombs with murals are common in northern China but very rare in the south. This is the first time that tomb murals created during the Ming Dynasty have been discovered in Jiangxi, according to experts with the institute.

Archaeologists said there should be a cluster of tombs in the area, adding that they will continue their excavation efforts and try to identify the owners of tombs.