Tang dynasty era tomb found in Luoyang, China

Famous for its Ancient Tombs Museum, Luoyang in China, is a popular destination for tourists and archaeologists alike. 

Luoyang is a well-known burial ground, and has its own tomb museum [Credit: Daily Mail]

But now there may be a bit more activity going on in the Henan Province city after a tomb was discovered thought to be 1,100 years old. 

This had led to keen archaeologists and historians to descend on the site, reading its inscriptions and tracing it's graphics and patterns so as to find out who it was the resting place for. 

And archaeologists are copying the mural of a tomb onto pieces of cellophane so the study into the history of the resting place can continue when the sun has gone down. 

An archaeologist copies the mural of a tomb onto a piece of cellophane in Luoyang [Credit: Daily Mail]

Coins have been found which can be dated back to around 713AD, the Kai Yuan era, which saw Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (also known as Emperor Ming of Tang) rule for the longest period of time of the Tang dynasty. 

The city is well-known for its various burial sites. Luoyang Tombs Museum was established in 1984 and opened to the public in 1987. 

This archaeologist shows off his work in the 1,110-year-old tomb [Credit: Daily Mail]

It is located on Mang Hill, in the eastern side of Zhongtou Village, about 6.2 miles north of Luoyang City. 

The site occupies three hectares. Mangshan, where the museum is located, is a hill about 300m above sea level that was historically a burial ground. 

An archaeologist shows a Kai Yuan Tong Bao, a coin cast in Kai Yuan years (713AD-741) [Credit: Daily Mail]

Back in September 2011, remains of an almost 3000-year-old horse and chariots were discovered in a Zhou dynasty tomb in Luoyang. 

The pits have well-preserved evidence of bronzeware and ceramics from the Early Western Zhou dynasty. 

Archaeologists will be hoping their tracing and subsequent research can help lead them to discover who the owner is [Credit: Daily Mail]

Archaeologists believe that the tomb belongs to an official of some renown during the dynasty - pottery, metal weaponry and inscriptions are consistent with a man of mid-level importance. 

The worry concerning the latest tomb find is that evidence is targetted by thieves - as that could halt the research into just who the owner is. 

Author: John Hutchinson | Source: Daily Mail/UK [July 15, 2012]