In Photos: Ancient Tomb of Couple Found in China

News
By published

A camel

figurine tomb

(Image credit: Photo courtesy Chinese Cultural Relics)

[Read the full story on the figurine-filled tomb]

Forever love

figurine tomb

(Image credit: Photo courtesy Chinese Cultural Relics)

An inscription found in the tomb says that Zhao Xin and his wife Princess Neé Liu were buried together in the tomb on Mar. 18, 564 A.D. The couple are seen here, still together after 1,500 years.

Eternal guard

figurine tomb

(Image credit: Photo courtesy Chinese Cultural Relics)

A variety of figurines were found buried in the couple's tomb. This figurine is of a tomb guardian, one of several placed in the tomb to help guard the couple.

A warrior

figurine tomb

(Image credit: Photo courtesy Chinese Cultural Relics)

The figurine of a warrior, its colors well preserved despite the passage of almost 1,500 years of time.

An ox

figurine tomb

(Image credit: Photo courtesy Chinese Cultural Relics)

A figurine of an ox. Archaeologists noted that they also found figurines of carts and this ox may have been meant to pull a cart.

A drummer

figurine tomb

(Image credit: Photo courtesy Chinese Cultural Relics)

A drummer, still ready to beat out a song despite the passage of over a millennia of time.

Prepared for afterlife

figurine tomb

(Image credit: Photo courtesy Chinese Cultural Relics)

Archaeologists say that 105 items were discovered in the tomb and that most of them were figurines.

[Read the full story on the figurine-filled tomb]

TOPICS
Owen Jarus
Owen Jarus
Live Science Contributor

Owen Jarus is a regular contributor to Live Science who writes about archaeology and humans' past. He has also written for The Independent (UK), The Canadian Press (CP) and The Associated Press (AP), among others. Owen has a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Toronto and a journalism degree from Ryerson University.