Tombs discovered in east China possibly royal ones: experts

HANGZHOU, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- A tomb complex that has been discovered in east China's Zhejiang Province is likely the royal one of an ancient kingdom known as "Gumie," archaeologists have said.

The tomb complex, dating back to the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046-771 B.C.), is located in Qujiang District, Quzhou City. So far, six of the 10 tombs have been excavated, including four between 2018 and 2021.

A large number of relics have been unearthed from the four tombs, including exquisite jade ware, porcelain, bronzeware and bronze chariots.

"An archaeological study and analysis of the excavated artifacts have indicated that the tombs were built about 3,000 years ago from the early West Zhou Dynasty to the middle West Zhou Dynasty," said Zhang Sen, a staffer of the provincial institute of cultural relics and archaeology.

Archaeologists said judging from the construction style and scale, the tombs are likely royal ones and might belong to the ruler of an ancient kingdom known as "Gumie," whose territory was mostly in today's Zhejiang.

"The discoveries are of great significance to the studies of jade inheritance, the origin of porcelain, and the development of the funeral system," said Wang Wei, from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Yang Jianwu, director of the provincial cultural relics bureau, said there are still many mysteries surrounding the tombs yet to be solved, as they are Western Zhou Dynasty tombs with the highest ranking discovered in the province.