Large Eastern Han kilns to shed light on mausoleums

Photo taken on Aug 16, 2015 shows the ancient kilns of the Eastern Han Dynasty discovered in Xinzhuan village, Mengjin county, Luoyang city of Central China's Henan province. [Photo/IC]

The excavation of ancient kilns in Mengjin county of Luoyang city in Central China's Henan province may provide a clue for studying the mausoleums of the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25-220), archaeologists said on Sunday.

The kilns, located in Xinzhuan village of Mengjin, are less than three kilometers from the Eastern Han mausoleums. So far, archaeologists have discovered 127 kilns, with three of them unearthed.

Li Jipeng, an expert from the Relics and Archaeology Institute of Luoyang, said that judging from the shapes and structures of tiles unearthed from the kilns, they are the same as those from the sites of mausoleums of Eastern Han Dynasty.

Li and other archaeologists concluded that the place might be a site of official kilns and may have provided the constructions materials for the mausoleums.

A clay mortar engraved with Chinese characters"Jianwu twenty-four years" captured special attention. Archaeologists said that "Jianwu" was the reigning title of Emperor Liu Xiu of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Some other building materials are covered with marks, indicating the names of tile craftsmen and other information.

Archaeologists said the excavation of ancient kilns is of great significance for the study of mausoleums of the Eastern Han Dynasty and the craftsmanship of that time.