Source: CRI

11-30-2006 15:20

A very precious tomb of the Warring States Period (475 – 221 BCE) was found in Gansu, together with a complete set of rare horse wagon was unearthed, which will provide information for the research of the wagon-making in that period.

Sarcastically, this great discovery was guided by tomb robbers. Tomb robbery has been haunting China for a long time. A probe in the 1980s confirmed that there were at least 400 thousand immobile cultural heritages in China (like ancient tombs, ruins, etc). Today, at least 30% of them have been ruined by human activities, mostly, tomb robbery.

In Lixian County of Gansu Province alone, at least 150 bronze gui (a round-mouthed food vessel with two or four loop handles ) were stolen and sold abroad.

In fact, more than 200 thousand ancient tombs in China have fallen a victim to tomb robbery. Shall we say it is lucky that most of them have eventually saved by archaeologists, or should China start a campaign immediately against furious tomb robbers? May there be no more great archaeological discoveries guided by them in the future.

 

Editor:Lu Yuying