An ancient tomb of the early Spring and Autumn Period (BC770 -- BC476) was unearthed in central China's Hubei Province, a local source said.

　　Discovered by local farmers when tilling the farmland in Miaotan Town of Gucheng County in Hubei, the tomb has a coffin pit 2.9 meters long and 1.1 meters wide.

　　Two pieces of bronze vessels were also found in the tomb. They are two Guis, a round-mouthed food vessel with two loop handles, and two Dings, a cooking vessel with two loop handles and three legs.

　　The two Guis are 20 centimeters high and 19 centimeters in diameter. The two Dings are 15.5 centimeters high and 16 centimeters in diameter. The four vessels bear curlicue and inscriptions which had been eroded.

　　Gucheng County was, in ancient times, the site of the Gu Kingdom, a vassal domain under a king during the period. The tomb was for a noble of the period, according to the unearthed vessels, archaeologists said.

(People's Daily 12/17/2000)