A graveyard with 285 tombs dating back to as early as the 4th century has been discovered in Shaanxi Province in northwest China, according to the Shaanxi Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration.

The tombs, spanning a timeframe from the Sixteen Kingdoms period (304-439) to the Sui and Tang dynasties (581-907), were found in an orderly-aligned layout in the graveyard. The excavation was initiated in 2021.

Pottery figurines, pottery stoves and kettles, pottery lanterns, and epitaph bricks imprinted with characters identifying the year the brick was made were unearthed from the tombs.

Archaeologists believe the excavation of the graveyard will help shed light on the evolution of the burial and sacrificial system in north China in the Sixteen Kingdoms period and Northern Dynasties (439-581).

The discovery will also contribute to studies on population mix and ethnic integration in the Chang'an region, providing insights into the complex historical context, according to the archaeologists.