Funeral objects provide insights into Western Han

Archaeologists recently dug out 13 pottery objects shaped like cakes at an archaeology site in Heyuan, Guangdong province. The items provide a valuable reference for the study of ancient funeral culture and customs.

According to a statement released by the Heyuan Museum, the objects are symbolic food. They were found in several ancient tombs of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24).

It is the first time rare cake-shaped pottery has been unearthed in Heyuan, in Guangdong province, one of the major areas inhabited by the Hakka people anciently, said Yuan Weiqiang, deputy director of the museum.

Of the symbolic cakes, 11 are relatively complete and two are incomplete, the statement said.

All the objects are round, flat shapes with a thickness of about two centimeters. One has a diameter of 10 centimeters. There are five with a diameter of nine centimeters and another five with a diameter of 8.5 centimeters.

The objects weigh from 0.156 to 0.262 kilograms. Many other pottery products and ceramic chips were also found at the tomb sites, the statement said.