In a significant archaeological discovery, 445 ancient tombs dating back over 2,000 years have been unearthed in Shanxi Province, northern China. These tombs, located near Xuezhuang Village in Linfen City, provide a valuable window into the era's funeral practices and cultural transitions. The Shanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology, which has been excavating for over a year, revealed that these tombs date back to the Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.).
The tombs, varying in size from small to medium, have yielded an impressive collection of over 700 cultural relics. These artefacts include bronze ware, iron tools, pottery, jade, and bone items, each offering a glimpse into the material culture and daily life of the time. Duan Shuanglong, a researcher with the institute, emphasised the importance of these findings in understanding the cultural evolution from the Warring States Period to the subsequent Qin Dynasty (221-207 B.C.).