Post date: Jul 14, 2013 2:54:40 PM
China-Ancient Tomb/Grains -- Archaeologists discover grains stored in tomb 2,000 years ago in NW China
China Central Television (CCTV) - Archaeologists recently found grains which they believed to have been stored in a tomb in the Western Han Dynasty (207BC-AD25) in Fengxiang County, northwest China's Shaanxi Province.
The grains contained in two pieces of pottery were found in an ancient tomb which was discovered in Fengxiang by a villager early this week when he was building a house above it.The grains, some are white and some are dark, may have been carbonized, said archaeologists.
"The grains in the potteries were crops of 2,000 years ago. Based on our preliminary analysis, they had been grown widely across the region. This suggests that farming in Fengxiang was a thriving industry. It is of great importance to our research on the history of farming in Fengxiang," said Cao Jianning, deputy director of the Fengxiang Museum.
Cao said that ancient crops in as large amount as these have never been found in Fengxiang. Judging from its size and shape, they are more likely to be a mixture of several types of grains that were placed in the potteries and buried in the tomb.
He added that archaeological researchers of the Fengxiang Museum will conduct further research to identify the types of the grains.
The tomb is located on a five-meter-high cliff next to a river. According to experts preliminary examination, it is an arch-type brick tomb chamber.
A total of 14 pieces of pottery and 14 pieces of ancient coins were discovered in the tomb.
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