????A
tomb in an ancient cemetery in northwest China, in which 14
mummies were unearthed, were recently conferred by the Shanghai
Office of Guinness Book of Records as the world's largest family
joint burial tomb of mummies.
????The tomb dating back to 1,400 to 3,000
years ago was found in Qiemo (Qarqan) County, in the southeast
of the Tarim Basin in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region,
where there was one of the 36 small kingdoms about 2,000 years
ago.
????The bodies of mummies including male,
female and children were flexed, lying on their back in the
five meter-long, 2.7 meter-wide and 3.4 meter-deep tomb.
????Pottery, stone, wood, bronze and iron
articles, along with exquisite cotton and wool fabric were
excavated together with the mummies.
????Archaeologists say the custom of family
joint burial was quite popular in the region at that time.
When the ancients of Qiemo were buried, their eyes were covered
with stone chips, face being masked by cloth, mouth being
sealed by gold foil and flour paste, and nose being plugged
with wool.
????Archaeologists also found that the ancients
of Qiemo liked wearing wigs, hats and necklaces.
????(People's Daily 03/27/2001)
