148 ancient tombs spanning 2,100 years unearthed at Guangzhou Zoo

An ancient burial site with 148 tombs, spanning over 2,100 years, has been discovered at the Guangzhou Zoo in South China's Guangdong Province. The tombs date from the Han Dynasty (206BC-AD220) to the early years following the founding of the People's Republic of China, according to a report by the Xinhua News Agency on Friday.

The Guangzhou Municipal Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology led the excavation of about 1,300 square meters in the construction area of the zoo, where the tombs were discovered between April and July 2024.

The site includes four Han Dynasty tombs, eight from the Jin and Southern dynasties (265-589), 15 from the Tang Dynasty (618-907), and 121 from the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911). A total of 196 artifacts, including pottery, porcelain, bronze items, jade and bead ornaments, along with 48 gravestones from the Republic of China (1912-49) period to the early years of the PRC, were unearthed.

Cheng Hao, an official with the institute, said that the tombs discovered this time are very densely distributed, and span a period of more than 2,100 years.

Among the most significant discoveries are a nearly intact Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420) tomb and a well-preserved Southern Dynasties (420-589) tomb.

The tomb of the Eastern Jin Dynasty is the largest and best-preserved one from the period discovered in Guangzhou so far. It measures over 10 meters in length, with its chamber and walls largely intact, despite the presence of a looters' hole near the entrance.

The Southern Dynasties tomb, slightly smaller, was identified as a joint burial for a married couple. Although it also showed evidence of looting, with small holes at the top, the structure remains almost intact.

"The discovery of these two tombs is of great significance to the study of burial shapes, stages and funeral customs during the Six Dynasties period (222-589) in Guangzhou, as well as to the research on the construction technology during the Jin and Southern dynasties' architecture," Cheng noted.

The arrangement of the tombs, particularly in the Ming and Qing burial chambers, follows a certain pattern, which are not only similar in scale and orientation but also have a consistent spacing between them. This suggests that the area was a well-organized and planned cemetery.

The Guangzhou Zoo is located in one of the key burial areas of Guangzhou. Since 1956, with the construction of the zoo, the Guangzhou cultural relics department has excavated nearly 500 ancient tombs in more than 30 locations in the zoo.