Many relics unearthed from Liao Dynasty tomb

An aerial photo shows the site of the Liao Dynasty tomb and archaeological dig. [Photo from WeChat account of Xilingol Daily]

After two years' excavation, a large cache of ceramics have been unearthed at an imperial concubine's tomb dating from the Liao Dynasty (916-1125) in Duolun county, Inner Mongolia autonomous region. The unearthed porcelains are decorated with gold and silver.

According to the Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology in Inner Mongolia, the porcelains are mainly from the Ding and Yue kilns.

An epigraph unearthed from the tomb records the life experience of the tomb owner, the first queen of Emperor Shengzong of the Liao Dynasty, who later was demoted to a concubine. The experts' further study shows that the tomb owner was a granddaughter of Empress Dowager Xiao.

The tomb was robbed in June 2015, but by working together, the police and cultural relic departments recovered over 100 pieces of stolen relics. Later, a rescue excavation was conducted to prevent further thefts.

The tomb was listed as one of China's top 10 archaeological discovery sites in 2015.