The graves, dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907), are located in the Litong District of Wuzhong City, 60 kilometers south of Yinchuan, the region's capital.

The grave group covers 6,400 square meters and is the largest of its kind ever excavated in the region.

Local archaeologists have found a variety of relics, including pottery kettles and bowls, bronze belts and buttons, and face-shaped sculptures.

They said it had taken a long time for the grave group to take shape, adding it would provide rare materials for research into the historical evolution of the Tang Dynasty.

(Xinhua News Agency March 29, 2003)