Archeologists recently unearthed a group of tombs of the Han Dynasty ((206 B.C.-220 A.D.) in northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

the group of 18 tombs cover several hundred square meters in Yulin City of Shaanxi. The archeologists unearthed more than 200 cultural relics from the tombs including bronzeware, iron instruments, lacquerware and pottery. The largest discovery contained 70 funeral objects.

The site of the tombs was adjacent to the ruins of a city of the ancient Qiuci State. The government of the Han dynasty built a magistracy at the present-day Yulin, and some Qiuci residents moved there.

A Chinese expert said the discovery of the tombs gave important clues to the study of the relations among different ethnic groups, their political, cultural and economic growth and funeral customs in northern Shaanxi in the Han dynasty.

(Xinhua 09/03/2001)