Ancient cultural relics found in Beijing

BEIJING, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese archaeologists have discovered and unearthed a large number of relics dating back to the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046-771 B.C.) at a relic site in Beijing.

Five ancient tombs, three house ruins, a suspected ringlike trench and more than 100 cultural relics including copperware, lacquerware, pottery and silk fabrics were excavated at the Liulihe relic site in southwest Beijing.

Starting in 2019, a joint team consisting of experts from eight institutions including Peking University and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences has been carrying out archaeological work at Liulihe.

Previous archaeological research identified Liulihe as the earliest traceable source of urban civilization in Beijing, and Liulihe has since been hailed as "the origin of Beijing."

"Some of the relics provide valuable materials for the study of the funeral system of the dynasty," said Wang Jing, who leads the excavation project.

According to Guo Jingning, an official with the Beijing Municipal Cultural Heritage Bureau, the technology-powered discoveries are of great significance in revealing the ancient state of Yan and the history of Beijing.