Tomb raiders readied to rob Han dynasty crypt in Jiangxi day before it was saved, say archeologists
Grave robbers were digging on fringes of coffin belonging to Marquis of Haihun before experts arrived, according to Chinese team leader
Thousands of relics dating to the Han dynasty about 2,000 years ago could have ended up in the hands of tomb raiders if archaeologists had arrived at the site just one day later, Chinese media reports.
The team discovered about 10,000 relics at the site of the tomb thought to belong to the Marquis of Haihun, or Liu He, in Nanchang in the eastern province of Jiangxi, according to online news site ThePaper.cn.
Lead archaeologist Yang Jun said they began to investigate the site, located in a mountainous area, after a tip-off from local villagers four years ago.
Residents had reported grave robbers were digging at the site. Yang said the thieves were focused on the middle of the tomb, thinking the main coffin was there.
But according to the practices of the Han era, tombs were often laid out with the coffins in the eastern part. The robbers could have stumbled upon the relics if his team had arrived just one day later, Yang said.