Archaeologists have finished a two-week excavation of 13 tombs dating back more than 1,700 years in Shuangliu County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, where a large number of pottery figures and utensils have been unearthed.

Located in Huayang Town, the 13 tombs line side to side from the top to the bottom of a five-meter highland. Three tombs on the top of the highland are the largest, each 15 meters long, 2.6 meters wide and 2.0 meters deep.

The Chengdu Daily newspaper reported Monday that archaeologists found the earth around these tombs was pounded and were surprised to see that tomb bricks were carved with fine patterns of strings of beads, rhombus and phoenixes.

Li Guo, who participated in the recent excavation at the site, said the tombs belonged to a family in the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), judging from the size of the tombs, building materials and funeral objects.

"Though we are not sure who the owners of the tombs were, it is clear the family enjoyed a high social status," said Li.

Besides a red pottery horse and other pottery ware, archaeologists also unearthed a 50x50 cm brick with paintings of typical buildings of the Eastern Han.

"Such bricks were used to decorate tomb chambers and are only seen at the ancient tombs of the nobility," said Li.

The brick is of great significance in studying the social life and production during the Eastern Han Dynasty and provides material evidence for studying funeral rituals cherished by officials and nobilities in Sichuan area in the Eastern Han, Li said.

(Xinhua News Agency January 4, 2006)