Archaeologists at the archaeology¹ research institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences have unveiled the details of a deluxe² carriage unearthed³ in a cemetery⁴ dating back to the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770-256 B.C.) in north China's Hebei Province.

 

中国社会科学院考古研究所的考古学家在河北省北部一座东周（公元前770年-公元前256年）墓地里发现一架豪华马车。
 

 

According to the archaeologists, the carriage is 142.5 cm wide, 106 cm in length and has two wheels with a diameter of 140 centimeters and 38 spokes⁵ each. The large volume of the carriage is rare for those that date back to the times before the Qin Dynasty (221-206 B.C.), said Li Cunxin, an associate researcher.

 

The archaeologists also found many exquisite⁶ patterns painted on the surface of the carriage and a pair of beast-shaped metal badges embedded⁷ into the carriage that have gold foil decorations stuck to them, which still hold their shine even after being underground for such a long period of time.

 

Researchers speculated that the occupant of the cemetery was high up in the social pecking order and could be at the level of a tribal⁸ leader.

 

The archaeological team is currently trying to further unveil the details of the carriage via various technologies before fully⁹ restoring the finding in the future.

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