Archaeologists unearth ancient urn burial tombs for children in north China

HOHHOT, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Archaeologists have excavated tombs of urn burial with 128 children's remains near the ruins of an ancient city of the Han Dynasty (202 B.C.- A.D. 220) in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, local authorities have said.

These graves with tiled coffins mostly were found in Liangcheng County, Ulanqab City, according to the regional cultural relics and archaeology research institute.

Judging from the characteristics of unearthed coins, tiles, and pottery, they are believed to be tombs dating back to about 2,000 years ago.

This is the first time that so many tiled coffins have been found in the county.

Wu Cheng, a researcher at Hohhot Museum, said that urn burial had been a rare and special type of burial for deceased children.

A local archaeological team started the excavation from May to October in the Daihai area of the region. The discovery of these graves provides valuable material for studying funeral customs in the area as well as for understanding the funeral system of children in ancient China, Wu said.