Over 200 ancient tombs discovered in Luohe, Henan

Henan Daily

Zhengzhou: A joint archaeological team formed by Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology and Luohe Municipal Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology excavated a tomb complex dating from the Warring States Period to the Han Dynasty in Luohe city of Central China’s Henan province recently, according to Luohe Municipal Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology.

The densely but orderly arranged tomb complex was a chance discovery during the construction of the Pingdingshan-Luohe-Zhoukou High-speed Railway, dating from the Warring States Period to the Han Dynasty, lasting about 400 years. The majority of the tombs are well-preserved with abundant burials. So far, over 200 tombs have been discovered, with more than 1,000 artifacts unearthed, including bronze swords and daggers of the Warring States Period and the pottery, iron wares and jade articles of the Han Dynasty.

Cultural relics unearthed in this area are in great variety. Previously, important remains such as the walls, roads and large architectural foundations of the Warring States Period as well as the coins and pottery workshops of the Han Dynasty have been found in its surrounding area. It indicates that during the Warring States Period and the Han Dynasty, Yancheng (the present-day Luohe) had been well-developed, attaining a considerable scale, which is of great significance for studying the urban development of Luohe in history.