Chinese archaeologists have discovered a set of ancient tombs in central China's Henan Province which offer substantial proof of references in historical works to "six horses for a king's carriage."
Last week's unearthing of a carriage equipped for six horses in a pit in Luoyang City, a political center over 2,000 years ago, provides previously lacking archaeological proof of the carriages’ existence and use during the Xia Dynasty (21st century BC-16th century BC), the Shang Dynasty (16th century BC-11th century BC) and the Zhou Dynasty (770 BC-221 BC).
So far in Louyang, archaeologists have discovered 397 tombs and18 horse pits dating back to the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770 BC-256 BC) and about another 600 tombs and 30 horse pits are likely to be found in the area, said experts.
Discovery of these tombs and horse pits confirms Luoyang's important position in history and the related research area, said Zhang Wenbin, former chief of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage.
(Xinhua News Agency December 18, 2002)
