Whether it be Greece, Germany or China, major discoveries continue to be made by archaeologists. An ancient Greek Heroön with dazzling treasure was recently uncovered, while in Frankfurt, a discovery rewrites the history of Christianity. An amulet dating back to 1,800 years ago indicates that devotion to Christianity started a few years before, around 275 A.D.

In China, another discovery was made, this time at the Wangzhuang ruins in the city of Yongcheng. Several tombs were located, but these weren’t just any tombs, they had links to royalty. One specific tomb was said to be of a king, given the size of it, and what was found on the inside.

Let’s take a closer look at the stunning artifacts retrieved, and why there might’ve been some tension involved 5,000 years ago during pre-historical times.

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A 5,000-Year-Old Tomb Was Uncovered In China’s Wangzhuang Ruins But Researchers Noticed The Prehistoric Site Was Tampered With

Credit to the Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology, and the Beijing-based Capital Normal University for conducting these ground-breaking excavations. Researchers may have unlocked one of the most important sites of pre-historical times. The tombs are linked to a pre-historic kingdom. Perhaps the most fascinating discovery of all was one specific tomb that had connections to a king.

The discovery location is in Central China’s Henan province, the Wangzhuang ruins in the city of Yongcheng. The special tomb in question covered more than 17 square meters, which was much larger than most of that time period.

Zhu Guanghua, associate professor at Capital Normal University, was in awe of the location. “The latest discovery indicates that the Wangzhuang ruins are not an ordinary settlement but rather, the capital of a prehistoric kingdom.”

According to China Daily, the tomb measured 4.52 to 4.8 meters in length and 3.47 to 3.68 meters in width, and featured both outer and inner coffins. The tombs contain over 350 artifacts. However, Zhu was surprised by what they didn’t find, and how damaged the owner’s tomb was. The professor believes the tomb might’ve been looted due to tension at the time.

“The tomb owner’s remains were removed and many significant artifacts were looted. Most of the tomb owner’s skeletal remains within the wooden coffin are missing, with only a few toe bones left.”

Zhu added, “Small jade ornaments were scattered inside and outside the coffin and many stone ceremonial blades were deliberately broken.”

Research is ongoing to determine the reason for the destruction of the pre-historic tomb. The belief is that the damage took place shortly after the burial.

via Shutterstock

Cracked pottery

Among the 350 items included:

• More than 100 pieces of pottery,
• Nearly 200 small jade ornaments,
• Bone tools and
• Animal remains (Pig mandibles symbolizing wealth)

45 tombs have already been uncovered at the Wangzhuang ruins site this year. Some of the tombs seem to be of higher status.

In total, over 1,000 artifacts have been retrieved. Liu Haiwang, leader of the joint archaeological team, believes that the artifacts show a high level of productivity from the pre-histoirc times.

“The exquisite pottery, stone tools and jade artifacts vividly demonstrate the division of labor and the level of productivity at that time,” Liu says. “The richness of the burial objects is closely linked to the size of the tombs, indicating that a clear social hierarchy and class stratification had already emerged.”

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China Daily notes that the discovery that excites archaeologists the most is the fact that the artifacts located during the excavation link different cultures together. Meaning, there was a collaboration of sorts many years ago.

Li Xinwei, deputy director of the Institute of Ancient History at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences said, “The ancient residents were clearly influenced by the cultures of the eastern and the central regions, as well as cultural elements from the Yangtze River Basin.”

Differences In Burials:

• Eastern Dawenkou Culture Influence: Water Deer Teeth buried along with occipital bone of a body deformed.
• Yangshao Culture Influence: Small-mouthed pointed-bottom jars and small-mouthed shoulder jars (linking Dawenkou and Yangshao traditions).

Xinwei notes the site offers lots of excitement, demonstrating the “cultural fusion” across the different regions.

“Its discoveries testify to the initial exchanges of early Chinese civilization, providing evidence for its nature of diversity,” Li says. “This site offers important examples for studying the cultural fusion across different prehistoric regions.”

We can expect more data related to the important site as research is ongoing.