As salvage excavation was taking place, archaeologists announced the discovery of murals in an Eastern Han Tomb in Luoyang, central China's Henan Province, China News Service reported Monday.

A farmer in the Yintun Village of Yiyang County stumbled upon an Eastern Han tomb while carrying earth from a slope on his farmland. The large scale tomb was built with brick and stone and includes a passageway, a door, a corridor, a niche and a burial chamber. The burial or coffin chamber is made of eight parts that include front, side, main and back rooms.

The tomb was not built symmetrically. According to its shape and pottery relics found at the site, archaeologists have said it belongs to the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25-220).

A notable characteristic of the tomb is that murals have been found on the arched roof of both the main and back rooms. The mural subjects range from representations of the sun and the moon, to images of animals, human figures and human-faces and snake-bodied spirits as well as configuration of the stars. All the paintings are distinct and all the animal and human figures in particular are true to life. These images are highly important.

Experts say it is rare to find an Eastern Han tomb with such exquisite murals and in such a large scale in Luoyang. Also unusual are the six iron nails set in an orderly fashion on the wall of the main room of the burial chamber.

(China.org.cn translated by Li Jinhui, March 27, 2003)