Chinese archaeologists resume excavation of ancient horse and chariot pit

Archaeologists in northwest China's Shaanxi Province Wednesday resumed excavation of a pit containing horses and chariots beside a tomb, which belongs to a lord of Qin state during the pre-Qin period (pre-221 BC).

Sacrificial horses discovered in the tomb of Duke Jing of Qin
[Credit: WikiCommons]

Located in the city of Baoji, the pit measures 86.3 metres in length, 20 metres in width and 14.6 metres in height. How many chariots and horses it contains are yet to be known.

The pit was discovered in 1977. In 2003, archaeologists started excavation but had to stop their work due to inadequate preparations.

The pit was found near a tomb on the ruins of Yongcheng, an ancient Qin state capital. The tomb was believed to be the largest tomb of the pre-Qin period, which refers to the period before Qin Dynasty was established, ever excavated in China, and its owner was Duke Jing of Qin (576-537 BC). More than 3,000 cultural relics have been unearthed.

Yang Wuzhan, a researcher from Shaanxi Academy of Archaeology, said the horse and chariot pit can provide important materials for the study of the burial system, the army scale, history and culture of the pre-Qin period.

The excavation will last more than eight months.

Source: Xinhua News Agency [April 10, 2019]