8 July 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Archaeologists unearth 128 ancient urn burial tombs for children in north China

Archaeologists have uncovered urn burial chambers containing the remains of 128 infants among the ruins of an ancient city of the Han Dynasty (202 B.C.- A.D. 220) in north China‘s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, according to local officials.

According to the regional cultural relics and archaeology research center, these burials with tiled coffins were largely discovered in Liangcheng County, Ulanqab City.

This is the first time that so many tiled coffins have been found in the county. Judging from the characteristics of unearthed coins, tiles, and pottery, they are believed to be tombs dating back to about 2,000 years ago.

A total of 128 tombs, estimated to be more than 2,000 years old, have been discovered in Hebei, according to archaeologists. Photo: Xinhua/Yang Shiyao/TANN
A total of 128 tombs, estimated to be more than 2,000 years old, have been discovered inUlanqab City, according to archaeologists. Photo: Xinhua/Yang Shiyao/TANN

Wu Cheng, a researcher at Hohhot Museum, said that urn burial had been a rare and special type of burial for deceased children.

The discovery of these graves provides valuable material for studying funeral customs in the area as well as for understanding the funeral system of children in ancient China, Wu said.

A total of 128 tombs, estimated to be more than 2,000 years old, have been discovered in Hebei, according to archaeologists. Photo: Xinhua/Yang Shiyao/TANN
A total of 128 tombs, estimated to be more than 2,000 years old, have been discovered in Ulanqab City, according to archaeologists. Photo: Xinhua/Yang Shiyao/TANN

The urns were mainly used for the burial of children,  although they were also employed infrequently for adults and were favored because they prevented wild animals from desecrating the bodies. In addition, some researchers believe the shape of the urns is reminiscent of a womb, which was regarded as accelerating the rebirth of the dead.

A local archaeological team started the excavation from May to October in the Daihai area of the region. Archaeologists in China have unearthed 128 tombs with burial urns since May from a single burial site. The urns date back to the period of the Han Dynasty (202 B.C.- A.D. 220), and they have been found in the city of Ulanqab at north China’s Hohhot  Museum.

News.cn

Related Articles

Medieval Weapon Chest Found on Sunken Medieval Flagship Gribshunden

20 April 2024

20 April 2024

An extensive exploration of the wreck of the royal flagship Gribshunden has unearthed a trove of new findings: new insights...

Crowned figure holding a 13th-century falcon found in Oslo

17 December 2021

17 December 2021

Archaeologist Ann-Ingeborg Floa Grindhaug discovered a three-inch-long figure carved from bone or antler amid the ruins of a fortified royal...

In Jerusalem, a 2700-year-old private toilet from the First Temple era was unearthed

5 October 2021

5 October 2021

The Israel Antiquities Authority discovered a private toilet from the First Temple Period on the Armon Hanatziv promenade in Jerusalem,...

10,000-year-old Settlement Discovered in Turkey’s Şanlıurfa

25 June 2021

25 June 2021

A Neolithic settlement was discovered in the garden of a house in the Sayburç Neighborhood of Şanlıurfa’s Karaköprü district. News...

Tombs of Queens of Commagene Detected

23 September 2021

23 September 2021

The graves built by Commagene King Mithritades II (36-21 BC) for his mother Isias, his sister Antiokhis, and Antiochis’s daughter...

Ancient Babylon Excavation Uncovers 478 Artifacts Including Cuneiform Tablets, and Cylindrical Seals

16 October 2024

16 October 2024

The Iraqi State Board of Antiquities and Heritage (SBAH) announced that 478 artifacts were uncovered during an excavation expedition in...

No Ancient Super-Highway: The Reality of Europe’s Erdstall and the Scotland-Türkiye Tunnel

28 April 2025

28 April 2025

The internet continues to buzz with the captivating notion of an immense, prehistoric tunnel network stretching from the Scottish Highlands,...

Imperial cult temple discovered in Spello: It opens a new chapter in the Roman Empire’s transition from paganism to Christianity

6 January 2024

6 January 2024

American researchers have announced the discovery of an Imperial cult temple in Spello, Italy. The discovery was announced by Douglas...

Columns in Lagina Hecate Sanctuary Rise Again

19 February 2021

19 February 2021

Lagina Hecate Sanctuary is located in Yatağan district of Muğla. It is an important sacred area belonging to the Carians...

1,800 years old Sewer system found in ancient city of Mastaura

17 May 2022

17 May 2022

Archaeologists found an 1800-year-old sewer system during excavations in the ancient city of Mastaura, in the Nazilli district of Aydın...

Unique Roman Cavalry Parade Helmet Recreated

6 April 2024

6 April 2024

Two replicas have been created of the gilded silver unique Roman cavalry helmet that amateur archaeologists found in 2001 while...

2,000-Year-Old Hellenistic Tomb Discovered Under Collapsed Port Road in Northern Cyprus

24 June 2025

24 June 2025

A routine alert about a collapsed road at Gazimağusa Port in Northern Cyprus has led to a remarkable archaeological breakthrough....

4,900-year-old Copper Age Fortress with a Violent Past and Odd Roman Burial Found in Spain

13 February 2025

13 February 2025

A remarkable 4,900-year-old Copper Age fortress, featuring a pentagon shape, three concentric walls, 25 bastions, and three ditches, has been...

Young Maya Maize God’s Severed Head found in Palenque

4 June 2022

4 June 2022

Archaeologists from the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH), an approximately 1,300-year-old sculpture of the head of the Young...

A Decorated Block with Decapitated Gaul Found for the First Time in Toul, France

22 July 2024

22 July 2024

A Corinthian-style carved block that was once part of the entablature of a monumental Gallo-Roman public building has been discovered...