Archaeologists discover three 1,800-year-old tombs in China filled with jewelry

A construction project in Rizhao, a coastal city in Shandong Province, paused when archaeologists uncovered three tombs from about 1,800 years ago.

Two had been plundered long ago, but the third stayed intact and preserved a family’s story in wood, clay, bronze, and lacquer.

The cemetery sits on a terrace at the foot of Ayek Mountain, about 2.2 miles west of the Yellow Sea. The layout and objects point to the Western Han dynasty, a time when people packed tombs with things needed for status and daily life.

The excavation was directed by a regional archaeology institute in Shandong Province. Its team documented the site in detail and carefully recovered dozens of fragile artifacts that had remained buried for centuries.

Why a family cemetery matters

Two of the tombs held bronze seals engraved with the surname Huan, so scholars can link these burials to the same family.

The most complete inscriptions name Huan Jia in one tomb and Huan Baode in the other, a rare stroke of luck that ties names to the chambers.

All three graves were double burial pits, meaning they were designed to hold the remains of two individuals, often family members or spouses.

Each had wooden structures that organized space like rooms, a pattern seen in elite burials of the period.

What the tombs reveal

The well preserved tomb, labeled M3, shows the plan clearly. A slanted passage of about 21.7 feet leads to a coffin chamber about 21.0 feet long, 13.5 feet wide, and 13.1 feet deep, sealed with layers of green mud.

Inside, builders divided the chamber into two adjoining rooms connected by a small wooden door and a pair of miniature windows.

This architectural detail mirrored the layout of a household, reflecting how the living environment was symbolically recreated underground to serve the dead in the afterlife.

Inside the intact m3 chamber

The western room held a coffin painted black outside and red inside. Below the coffin, two wooden rails raised the bed, and a head box stored stacked lacquer handled cups.

The foot box contained 14 pieces of glazed pottery, including jars, pots, and long necked flasks, most fitted with wooden lids to keep contents secure.

From the same room came a bronze mirror, an iron sword blade, and a bronze seal shaped like a turtle with the legend Huan Baode Seal.

Turtle knob bronze seals are well known from Han contexts, as seen in a museum object that shows an Eastern Han turtle topped seal used to stamp identity.

The eastern room held a collapsed coffin along with a lacquer box, a wooden comb, and a wooden grate. Another bronze mirror turned up there, telling us both occupants were sent off with personal care items.

A hearse under the coffin

Beneath the eastern coffin lay a small coffin carriage with two round wheels. This vehicle helped move the coffin into position before the chamber was sealed.

Archaeologists seldom find a carriage preserved under a coffin in this region, so the M3 example stands out for craft and condition.

Several clues point south. The stash of lacquerware, the black and red coating inside the coffin, and the green clay all echo styles and materials common below the Yangtze.

Lacquer’s chemistry and typical red and black palette are outlined in a museum that explains how artisans used cinnabar and carbon to achieve durable colors.

Scholars note that Han lacquer making reached an early peak in both technique and production scale, particularly in the Yangtze basin.

Research shows that during this time, lacquer craftsmanship expanded beyond everyday use, becoming a central feature of ritual and funerary art.

Tombs built like houses

Han tombs did not copy palaces exactly, but they organized space to support the afterlife as a continuation of social rank and routine.

The broader historical overview places these practices in a timeline that runs from Western to Eastern Han.

In the M3 rooms, the doors and windows were symbolic features rather than invitations to visit. They show that the dead were placed in a setting that read as a private residence, with head and foot boxes serving specific roles.

Numbers that frame the site

One mound in the cemetery measured roughly 164 feet by 131 feet, large enough to cover more than ten burial spots.

The M1 tomb measured about 13.8 feet by 11.5 feet and 6.6 feet deep, while M2 ran 14.4 feet by 13.0 feet and 9.1 feet tall inside.

Artifacts from the intact tomb totaled more than 70 pieces. That tally includes glassy ceramics, lacquer cups in sets, grooming tools, weapons, and mirrors.

How archaeologists read seals

Seals do more than look impressive. A turtle topped bronze seal in M3 signals identity and status, and in Han times such seals were practical tools for stamping documents or goods.

When an expert was asked about the coffin types found in the Rizhao burials, the discussion centered on their rarity and possible southern origin.

One art historian noted that Han-era tree-trunk coffins are uncommon in southern China, highlighting the distinctive regional connections reflected in the discoveries.

What looters missed

Two tombs had been stripped long before the dig. Even so, their structure stayed intact enough to compare with the unlooted chamber.

The unlooted tomb kept fragile finishes and wooden parts that are often lost. That preservation allows careful study of carpentry, paint layers, and sealing methods.

Why the find reshapes local history

This cemetery sits in the southeastern corner of Shandong, a place better known for brick chamber tombs and simpler grave sets.

The Rizhao site shows how coastal families used southern styles and goods to signal rank and taste.

The two inscribed seals fix the family’s surname and help date the cemetery within the Western Han sequence. That link turns a local discovery into a reference point for the broader coast.

What the artifacts say about daily life

Bronze mirrors and combs point to grooming and social display, even in death. Swords and belt hooks mark status and responsibility.

Cup sets and lidded flasks speak to banquets and ritual drinking. Together, these goods map a household in objects, not words.

The stratigraphy, the sloped passage design, and the room like partitions put the tombs firmly in the Western Han. Artifact styles agree with that assessment.

Names on seals anchor identity and support the family reading. With measurements recorded in feet and the context laid out, the site now reads clearly to specialists and students alike.

—–

Like what you read? Subscribe to our newsletter for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates. 

Check us out on EarthSnap, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

—–