2000-year-old sword found in Henan

A well-preserved ancient bronze sword is unearthed in Henan and considered to be high in value, March 14, 2015. [Photo/IC]

A large set of funerary objects dating back to over 2,000 years were recently unearthed by the archaeology department of Zhoukou city in Central China's Henan province.

Among the items found in a group of 21 tombs, all believed to belong to the Warring States Period (475-221 BC) and the Eastern Han Dynasty (25 AD-220 AD), a well-preserved bronze sword was found still mighty and with high value. According to the archaeologists, the sword should be a personal belonging to the late master of the tomb, and was buried with him when he died.

The archaeology department discovered the items at Xiangcheng, a county-level city in Zhoukou, during a relic exploration at a construction site. The unearthed items featured mostly pottery products, and four bronze wares, including the sword, two spears and a dagger-axe.

The unearthed funerary objects will serve as an important evidence for the study of funeral customs and cultures during the Warring States Period and the Eastern Han Dynasty, said archaeologists.