In 2016, a tomb raider dug a hole in a vast ancient tomb complex located in the Xiangfen County of Shanxi Province, China. He stole artifacts from one corner of a tomb and then fled the scene.
It wasn’t until 2018 that archaeologists from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences learned about the incident and came to investigate. After examining and analyzing the site, they discovered that the tomb had been raided 2,500 years ago, dating back to the late Spring and Autumn period (770 BC – 476 BC). The tomb measures 6.5 meters long, 5.4 meters wide, and 9.8 meters deep.
Furthermore, this tomb is part of the Daozi Cemetery and Historic Site, which contains up to 10,000 tombs.
Bronze bells found in the ancient tomb. (Photo: Xinhuanet).
Experts also noted that the thief only managed to take a portion of the artifacts. They were relieved to find that many valuable relics remained inside. Subsequently, they unearthed a significant number of treasures from the over 2,000-year-old tomb.
An artifact discovered inside the ancient tomb. (Photo: Xinhuanet).
Specifically, they excavated 16 bronze bells inscribed with characters, numerous weapons, and jade artifacts. Additionally, the tomb housed a bronze drum stand. The stand has a hollow design to accommodate a drum. It measures approximately 83 cm in width, making it one of the largest drum stands ever found in China.
Inside the ancient tomb, many artifacts remained untouched. (Photo: Xinhuanet).
At the center of the ancient tomb lies a decayed wooden coffin, containing the remains of a woman in her thirties, with the skull of a fetus visible in her abdomen. The fetus is estimated to be around eight months old. Based on the artifacts and inscriptions found, this tomb belonged to the wife of Doctor Shi Da Fu, a noble official of that era.
By 2022, local officials managed to recover the stolen bronze artifacts from the Daozi tomb complex.
