Excavated by:：the Second Luoyang Municipal Archaeological Team

Excavation team leader:：Shi Jiazhen

Half of the imperial tombs were built in Eastern Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD). Others are believed to belong to the Jin (317-581), the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534), and the Five Dynasties period (907-960).

All the tombs, 972 in number, cover an area of 756 sq km in Mangshan, an imperial graveyard in the northern suburbs of Luoyang, the ancient capital of six Chinese dynasties.

The excavation was conducted by the Second Luoyang Municipal Archaeological Team from 2006 to 2008 in order to preserve the ancient relics in the area, where a state-level tomb protection zone will be built.

The archaeologists also unearthed 20,000 historical artifacts, including pottery utensils, china objects, gold vessels, silver cups, bronze basins, iron items, stone articles and jade ornaments, said Zheng Yuhai, an expert with the excavation project.

All the tombs had underground chambers were built of brick but the shape of their ceilings were unique to their dynasties. The chamber walls of 24 tombs were decorated with delicate carved bricks that pattern dragons and tigers, showing that the tomb owners were emperors or members of imperial families, he said.

The artifacts will provide valuable clues for the study of how people lived as well as funeral customs of the different eras, the expert added.