Tomb of China's 1st emperor's grandmother unearthed in Shaanxi ??

ECNS.cn   9.9.2014

Photo shows the excavation site. [Photo: cnwest.com]

Item excavated from the tomb. [Photo: cnwest.com]

(ECNS) -- A large tomb of China's first emperor Qin Shi Huang's grandma has been unearthed in a university campus of northwest China's Shaanxi province.

The tomb, situated on the new campus of Xi'an University of Finance and Economics in the southwest suburb of the city, covers 260 mu (173, 325 sq meters) and is 550 meters in length and 310 meters in width.

Archeologists have excavated two carriages pulled by six horses each from the tomb, a symbol of high rank to equal that of the emperor, which has confirmed former estimations that Qin Shi Huang's grandmother was buried here.

Jade, gold and silver fragments, as well as elegantly engraved pottery buried with the owner of the grave, have additionally helped establish the facts.

This is the second largest tomb ever to be discovered in the country, experts said, adding that emperor Qin Shi Huang is likely to have built the tomb himself.

The "Terracotta Warriors and Horses", buried with the first emperor, are reputed to be among the world's great wonders.

Photo shows bird's-eye view of the tomb. [Photo: cnwest.com]

The question remains, who's tomb was found in 2006?

Read the following article from Xinhua.cn

Tomb of grandmother of China's First Emperor excavated

Latest Updated by 2006-08-02  Chinese archaeologists believed, after over a year's excavation and research, a large tomb in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, belonged to the grandmother of Qinshihuang, the country's first emperor. The tomb was chronologically the closest to the mysterious mausoleum of Qinshihuang, probably built under the order of the first emperor, Zhang Tian'en, an expert with the Shaanxi provincial archaeology institute, told Xinhua on Saturday. "So, the excavation of the grandmother's tomb hopefully will help unravel the mystery about the first emperor's mausoleum and contribute to the research on the burial culture of the Qin Dynasty," Zhang said. The tomb, located in southern outskirts of Xi'an, provincial capital of Shaanxi, is the second largest ancient tomb that China has ever excavated, next only to that of King Jinggong of the State of Qin (897-221 BC), said Zhang. Under the new campus of the Xi'an Business College, the tomb is about 30 kilometers southwest of the famous mausoleum of Qinshihuang, who united seven warring states and founded the Qin Dynasty in 221 BC. The cemetery covered an area of 17.3 hectares, with a length of 550 meters and a width of 310 meters. Archaeologists unearthed two carriages that were designed to be driven by six horses, which could be used only by kings and queens in the State of Qin. Meanwhile, stamps for royal court officials, who were in charge of errands for queen mothers, queens and princes, have also been found, said Wang Hui, an expert with the Shaanxi Normal University. After further research on unearthed articles and comparison with the style of Qin mausoleums, the archaeologists judged that the tomb belonged to the grandmother, Queen Mother Xia, of Qinshihuang. The tomb is still under excavation. Source: Xinhua

The photo taken on July 31, 2006 shows an ancient tomb newly found in the southern suburbs of Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province. After more than a year's excavation and study, archaeologists confirmed the tomb was belonged to the grandmother of China's First Emperor Qin Shihuang (221-206 B.C.). The excavation of the tomb is considered of great value in understanding the burial culture of ancient China and probing the mystery of Qin Shihuang's mausoleum. The photo taken on July 31, 2006 shows unearthed potteries from an ancient tomb newly found in the southern suburbs of Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Experts show the way the ancient Chinese wash hands with the bronze utensil unearthed from an ancient tomb newly found in the southern suburbs of Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province on July 31, 2006. The photo taken on July 31, 2006 shows an ancient tomb newly found in the southern suburbs of Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Editor: Yan