HOHHOT - Archaeologists have found an unusually large hearse buried alongside a tomb in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. This discovery sheds light on the unique custom of burying hearses during the Liao Dynasty (916-1125), reported Xinhua.
The wooden carriage was unearthed from a burial pit accompanying an aristocrat's tomb in Kailu County in the city of Tongliao, said the region's institute of cultural relics and archaeology.
The carriage body measures seven metres long and over two metres wide, a relatively rare size, said Ma Hai, curator of Kailu county museum, which participated in the tomb's excavation.
The pit also saw the discovery of more than 30 vehicle accessories, including gilded bronze bells, bronze tassels and silver plates.
Historians said the carriage was once used as a hearse, which carried the coffin to the tomb before being buried, and its discovery will offer insights into the unique practice of burying a hearse for Khitan patricians that ruled the Liao Dynasty. - BERNAMA-XINHUA