Ancient tomb discovered on SYSU Guangzhou campus

Sun Yat-sen University announced on Jan 6 that an ancient tomb had been discovered at a construction site on its Guangzhou South Campus.

The tomb was found while workers were digging the foundation for the school’s new canteen and noticed some ceramic funerary objects. The university has reported the finding to Guangzhou’s antiquities department.

An ancient tomb dating back to the Han Dynasty is discovered at a construction site on the SYSU Guangzhou South Campus. [Photo/people.com.cn]

An ancient tomb dating back to the Han Dynasty is discovered at a construction site on the SYSU Guangzhou South Campus. [Photo/people.com.cn]

According to archeologists from the Guangzhou Municipal Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology, the tomb probably dates back to the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220).

Unearthed funerary items include clay jars, lids and animal-shaped objects.

A bird-shaped clay funerary object is unearthed at the construction site. [Photo/people.com.cn]

A bird-shaped clay funerary object is unearthed at the construction site. [Photo/people.com.cn]

SYSU Guangzhou South Campus has a relatively high altitude and was a suitable place to live during ancient times, according to archeologists. In the 1950s, stone tools from prehistoric times were discovered in the same area, and many ancient tombs have been discovered since the 1960s as well. In 2014, it was demarcated as a historical burial zone in Guangzhou.

Archeologists work to unearth and preserve relics at the SYSU Guangzhou South Campus. [Photo/people.com.cn]