An extravagant ancient tomb has been discovered in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China, filled with rare treasures from the Hongshan culture.
An excavation in Chaoyang City, located in Inner Mongolia, China, has unveiled numerous buried artifacts dating back 5,000 to 5,100 years, found within an extremely lavish ancient tomb.
Archaeologists excavating the ancient tomb in Chaoyang City, Inner Mongolia – China – (Photo: XINHUA).
According to the Xinhua News Agency, the most remarkable item discovered in the tomb is a stunning jade dragon measuring 15.8 x 9.5 cm.
This is the largest jade dragon ever found originating from the Hongshan culture, as reported by archaeologists.
Parts of a jade dragon revealed in the ancient tomb – (Photo: XINHUA).
The Hongshan culture is a Neolithic culture located in northeastern China.
They engaged in agriculture, built vast towns with large buildings, and created complex artifacts at a time when most other regions in China and around the world were still in a rudimentary stage of development.
Therefore, artifacts from this unique culture are of unparalleled value.
Researchers also found human remains in the tomb, along with a significant amount of pottery, including uniquely designed cups, basins, and jars.
In an interview with Live Science, Professor Gideon Shelach-Lavi from the Hebrew University (Israel), who has participated in several excavations in Chaoyang, stated that this jade dragon is the largest but not the only one.
Smaller jade dragon artifacts have previously been discovered in other ancient tombs of the Hongshan culture.
Additionally, although referred to as a dragon, researchers are not entirely certain that this artifact represents the dragons commonly found in later East Asian culture, as the image created 5 millennia ago appears very primitive and quite different.
