CHENGDU, May 14 (Xinhua) -- More than 6,000 ancient tombs dating back between the Warring States Period (475 B.C.-221 B.C.) and the Ming Dynasty (1368―1644）have been discovered in southwest China's Sichuan Province, local archaeological authorities said Thursday.

The Cultural Relics and Archaeology Research Institute of Chengdu, the provincial capital, said the site is located in southern Chengdu.

Zuo Zhiqiang, who leads the archaeological excavation team said that apart from different types of ancient tombs, remains of residential sites at the end of the Neolithic Age and tens of thousands of cultural relics of a variety of dynasties including pottery, bronze ware, stoneware and coins, as well as pearls of the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean, were also unearthed since March 2015.

"The findings are important for the study of cultural exchanges between China and the West and also the ancient social changes along the Silk Road," Zuo said.