19 tombs with sloping passage discovered in China's Xinjiang

URUMQI - An archaeological team last year discovered 62 ancient tombs, 19 of them with sloping passage, in the city of Hami, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

It is the first time that tombs with sloping passage have been found in Hami, leader of the team, Wang Yongqiang, said on Monday. Wang is also a researcher with Xinjiang cultural relics and archaeology institute.

"Sloping passage used to be a typical tomb element in the culture of central areas of China. Such tombs have been found in Xinjiang's Turpan and in the city of Dunhuang, Gansu province," Wang said.

Based on the structure and unearthed relics, Wang said the tombs could date back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and Song Dynasty (960-1279).

Unearthed items, including replicas of gold coins used in the Eastern Roman Empire, point to exchanges between the East and West at the time, showing that Hami served as a bridge for trade and cultural exchanges in history, Wang said.