Archaeological findings of the Wuwangdun, one of the largest-scale Chu state tombs, was announced at a news conference held by the National Cultural Heritage Administration on April 16.

Chu, a vassal state in China, dates back to the late Warring States Period (475-221 BC). The Wuwangdun Site, located in Huainan city, Anhui province, includes a cemetery surrounded by a moat, covering an area of about 1.5 square kilometers. Inside the cemetery there are chariot and sacrifice pits and tombs accompanying the largest No 1 tomb, which is believed to be that of the cemetery's owner.

In 2020, the archaeological team of Shandong University, together with other institutes such as the Anhui Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, started the excavation work of the No 1 tomb of Wuwangdun.

Over the last four years, faculty and students from the School of Archaeology at Shandong University have been fully engaged in the archaeological excavation of the Wuwangdun tomb. The research team had succeeded in unearthing fragile artifacts such as burial chamber cover boards, bamboo mats on the boards and lacquer items.

Currently, over 1,000 cultural relics, including bronze ritual vessels, musical instruments, lacquerware, and plant remains, have been excavated from the No 1 tomb of Wuwangdun. The tomb, with its grand scale, complex structure, and rich contents, is believed to be the highest-level ancient tomb of the Chu state that has been excavated to date.

Lacquerware items are among the archaeological findings unearthed at the Wuwangdun Site in Huainan, Anhui province. [Photo/National Cultural Heritage Administration]

Vessels unearthed at the Wuwangdun Site in Huainan, Anhui province. [Photo/sdu.edu.cn]