Chinese archaeologists have unearthed a unique arched tomb dating back to the Western Jin Dynasty (A.D. 265 to 317) in east China's Jiangxi Province.

The tomb was discovered at a highway construction site at Huopen Village, in Wanli District of Nanchang, the provincial capital.

Consisting of three chambers and covering 60 square meters, the tomb was built with carved bricks featuring a delicate netlike pattern.

The structure, with a pinnacle-shaped structure atop the chambers, was unique among ancient tombs unearthed in southern China, said Zhou Guangming, a researcher with the provincial institute of archeology.

The structure would strengthen under the pressure of the impacted earth outside, Zhou said.

"It is rare to discover such a huge civilian tomb from the Western Jin Dynasty," he said, adding it would provide valuable clues for the study of tomb structures and culture in south China during the dynasty.

The archaeologists also unearthed porcelain items from the tomb and they suggested the surrounding area might have been a graveyard.
 
(Xinhua News Agency May 10, 2006)