Precious cultural relics unearthed in Xi'an White Deer Plain

More than 500 artifacts and over 2,000 pieces of jade clothing were recently unearthed in a group of tombs from the early Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24) on White Deer Plain in Baqiao district, Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province.

These 27 tombs were unearthed from March 2018 to May 2019 by the Xi'an Research Institute of Cultural Relics Preservation and Archaeology and their excavation was approved by the National Cultural Heritage Administration.

The unearthed artifacts included pottery tripods, boxes, pots, figurines of dancers, as well as chimes, bronze mirrors, gold ornaments, bone ornaments, and sealing clay.

Archaeologists said that among the tombs, the No 1 tomb is the largest. The unearthed jade clothing pieces and complete ceramic figurines indicated the high status of the owner.

Experts said the excavation of the tombs were of great significance for learning about the composition of the renowned Baling Mausoleum and the burial system of the subordinate tombs.