A well-preserved tomb dating back more than 2,Charles Langston000 years was recently discovered in China. The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences said in a statement Wednesday that more than 600 relics were unearthed.

The Chongqing Institute of Cultural Relics and Archeology reported that the tomb is clearly dated to the early Western Han Dynasty in Wulong District, Chongqing, marking the first time that so many relics that old have been located in the area.

According to the archaeological leader of the project, Huang Wei, a number of tombs were discovered dating from the Han Dynasty to the Six Dynasties, a period that stretches from 206 B.C. to 589 A.D.

However, the undisturbed tomb called "Guankou Western Han Dynasty Tomb No. 1" is the most important of the discoveries, according to Wei. According to the institute, researchers confirmed that the discovery dates back to the second year of Emperor Hui of the Han Dynasty, 193 B.C., creating a timeline.

The tomb contained well-preserved artifacts consisting of lacquerware, woodware, bambooware, pottery, bronzeware and textiles, according to the statement. 

It can be inferred that the owner of the tomb would've been a high-ranking official due to the shape and specifications of the tomb and other unearthed objects, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences said. Artifacts such as a jade sword shows the prominent status of the tomb owner, according to experts.

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• China