Archaeologists make extraordinary discovery of 1700-year-old tombs beneath Chinese zoo

When visitors arrive at Guangzhou Zoo in South China’s Guangdong Province, they usually expect to come across vistas of mountains, cliffs, waterfalls, gardens, wooden pergolas, and thousands of animals like Chinese tigers, giant pandas, and golden monkeys. But over the years, the 42-hectare area of the zoo has become famous for something other than its natural beauty and animals after remnants of Chinese history were found beneath its grounds. Recently, archaeologists dug out a catacomb of 148 tombs buried in these grounds, according to a report from the Xinhua News Agency. This is the latest addition to the 500 tombs that were discovered in the zoo during a 1956 expedition.

Among the tombs unearthed this time, archaeologists revealed that four belonged to the Han Dynasty, eight belonged to the Jin and Southern Dynasties, 15 to the Tang Dynasty, and 121 to the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Of all these, the most stunning discovery has been the tomb of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, which is not only the largest but also the most well-preserved. This tomb is over 32 feet long and appears remarkably new, even though it is more than 1,700 years old, per All That’s Interesting. It hasn't sustained any major damage apart from a small hole above the sealing door made by a grave robber.

Another well-preserved tomb is from the Southern Dynasty, which archaeologists believe belonged to a married couple, and was looted at some point in time. "The discovery of these two tombs is of great significance to the study of tomb shapes, stages, and funeral customs during the Six Dynasties period (222-589) in Guangzhou, as well as the construction technology during the Jin and Southern Dynasties," Cheng Hao, an official from the Guangzhou Municipal Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology, who was involved in the excavation told the news agency.

Inside these tombs, archaeologists also found 196 pieces of ancient Chinese relics and jewelry including pottery, porcelain, bronze, jade, and bead ornaments. These will now be preserved in the relics department of the zoo.

The team also worked on deciphering the way these tombs were organized and found that meticulous planning was put into the creation of this burial ground. The Ming and Qing Dynasty’s tombs, for example, were arranged in patterns with specific gaps left between each tomb. The researchers are now trying to understand the burial practices, architectural techniques, historical customs, and rituals that pervaded this site thousands of years ago.

It is not only the zoo that is a melting pot of historical revelations since the entire town of Guangzhou has remained a wonder for archaeologists hoping to open a window into the past. According to China Daily, in 2022, archaeologists combed through 2.41 million square meters of Guangzhou to discover 2,255 ancient relics, cultural artifacts, and 201 tombs spanning thousands of years. The relics were displayed in an exhibition at the Nanhan Erling Museum.