28 May 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

A rare sheep carriage and ancient chariots found near mausoleum of China’s first emperor

A rare “six-sheep” carriage and a four-wheeled wooden chariot were discovered near the mausoleum of Qinshihuang, China’s first Emperor during the Qin Dynasty (221 BCE-206 BCE), in Xi’an, northwest China.

Jiang Wenxiao, project leader of the Tombs to the West of the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang Archaeological excavation project, announced the discoveries at the 4th Congress of Chinese Archaeology, which began on Monday in Xi’an.

In one of the excavation pits, a well-preserved four-wheeled wooden chariot with an ornate rectangular umbrella was discovered, believed to be the oldest example of its kind found in China.

The “six-sheep” carriage, a rarity in archaeological records, is one of the most remarkable discoveries. Six sheep skeletons were lined up in a row inside the burial pit. Despite the fact that the carriage’s main body has deteriorated, experts were able to determine its purpose based on the remnants of accessories used to pull the carriage.

Photo: NEWS DAYOO

Historical records suggest that Emperor Sima Yan, founder of the Western Jin Dynasty (265-316) used a carriage carried by sheep to tour his palace complex in the evening, and then chose the palace in front of which the sheep stopped as his sleeping quarters.

The phrase “seeking luck in a sheep carriage” describes how Sima Yan, the emperor of the Western Jin Dynasty, paraded around the palace every night on a sheep carriage. This marks the first appearance of a “sheep carriage” in recorded history.

Jiang Wenxiao, head of the archaeological project, noted that the discovery of a “sheep carriage” is exceptionally rare in Chinese archaeology.

Photo: NEWS DAYOO

Archaeologists have concluded that these finds are connected to chariots and horses used in burial rituals based on the excavation of nearby pits. The different types of chariots and variations in the quantity of horse remains found in these pits provided fresh insights into the purposes and operations of single and double-axle chariots.

The pit also yielded a large number of copper chariot and horse-related artifacts, accompanied by iron tools and copper weapons. Currently, laboratory analyses of the tomb’s burial chamber are underway, with hopes of uncovering artifacts that will confirm the identity of the tomb’s owner.

Cover Photo: China’s first Emperor Qinshihuang statue

Related Articles

Luxurious Ancient Roman Home With Magnificent Mosaic Wall uncovered between the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill

14 December 2023

14 December 2023

Archaeologists have uncovered a luxurious Roman home between Rome’s Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum, boasting an “unparalleled” mosaic featuring...

Traces of 9300-year-old settlement unearthed near Volcanic Cappadocia in central Turkey

28 August 2022

28 August 2022

During the most recent excavations at Sırçalıtepe Mound (Sırçalıtepe Höyük) in Türkiye’s central Niğde province, archaeologists discovered traces of a...

Excavations at Körzüt Castle unearth 2 cuneiform inscriptions and a new Urartian Susi temple

25 October 2023

25 October 2023

During the rescue excavations carried out at the Körzüt Castle in the Muradiye district of Van province in eastern Turkey,...

A rare medieval Christogram Tattoo from Ghazali, Sudan

22 October 2023

22 October 2023

A Polish-Sudanese research team investigating the medieval African monastery of Ghazali discovered a rare medieval religious tattoo in a tomb...

2700-year-old Ancient Blacksmith Workshop Unearthed in Oxfordshire

6 February 2024

6 February 2024

Archaeologists have uncovered a “master blacksmith’s” Iron Age workshop in South Oxfordshire, a local government center in the ceremonial county...

Polish archaeologists discovered new petroglyphs dating back to the 3rd century in Colorado

14 December 2023

14 December 2023

Archaeologists from the Jagiellonian University, southern Poland, have made a significant discovery of ancient indigenous paintings and carvings in the...

Fragments of the World’s Oldest Known Rune Stone Discovered in Norway

3 February 2025

3 February 2025

Archaeologists have found fragments of the world’s oldest known rune stone at the Svingerud burial field in Norway and fitted...

Archaeologists Reveal a Hair Style They Think Was Fashion 2000 Years Ago

19 February 2021

19 February 2021

The small 5 cm figurine found during excavations at Wimpole in Cambridgeshire surprised with its details. National Trust archaeologists and...

World’s Oldest Arrow Poison Discovered in South Africa, Dating Back 7,000 Years

27 January 2025

27 January 2025 1

In a groundbreaking discovery, archaeologists excavating Kruger Cave in South Africa have identified what may be the oldest confirmed multi-component...

DNA Analysis Reveals Identifies the Genetic Makeup of Piceni the Most Fascinating Civilizations of Pre-Roman Italy

24 November 2024

24 November 2024

A study conducted by an international team coordinated by Sapienza University of Rome and the Italian National Research Council (CNR)...

Rescue work begins on a 160-year-old shipwreck, the largest and best-preserved wooden shipwreck ever discovered underwater in China

3 March 2022

3 March 2022

Rescue work has begun on a 160-year-old shipwreck in China, the largest and best-preserved wooden wreck ever discovered underwater. This...

Archeologists in Peru find a 1,000-year-old adolescent mummy wrapped in bundle

25 April 2023

25 April 2023

Archaeologists have unearthed a more than 1,000-year-old mummy on the outskirts of Peru’s capital, Lima. The mummified adolescent was wrapped...

New AI Tool ‘Fragmentarium’ Brings Ancient Babylonian Texts Together

6 February 2023

6 February 2023

An artificial intelligence (AI) bot was developed by linguists at the Institute for Assyriology at Ludwig Maximilian University in Germany...

One of its kind, 1,500-year-old Roman ‘Lorica Squamata’ legion armor restored

19 June 2024

19 June 2024

The 1,500-year-old Roman ‘Lorica Squamata’ legion armor, the only known example in the world, found in the ancient city of...

British archaeologists unearth the 1200-year-old man-made island

13 February 2022

13 February 2022

A team holding excavations and archaeological surveys on the historic Al Sayah Island in Muharraq, Bahrain found that it’s ‘man-made’,...