Archeologists in central China's Henan Province has unearthed more than 500 objects including brownish yellow and green terra-cotta figurines and utensils that date back some 2,000 years to the Han Dynasty.

The antique items were found in a group of 20 ancient tombs in Wulongkou town of Jiyuan City, said Li Huaiwang, associate researcher with the Henan provincial institute of cultural heritage and archeology.

The rarest of these antique items depicts a group of hunters carrying their prey, said Li, head of the excavation team.

"It's a vivid picture of our forefather's life in the wild, and is rarely found in China today," he said.

Many other figurines were found among the delicate but well- preserved items, including singers, dancers and acrobats, Li said.

Li and his colleagues have also unearthed a group of terra- cotta animals, including the 12 animals in the Chinese birth symbol system + rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, chicken, dog and pig, as well as geese, fish, cicadas, frogs, birds and insects.

Most of the other antique pieces unearthed were in the shape of kitchen utensils including pots, urns, kettles, plates, incense burners, spoons, ladles and cups, mostly ingrained with animals.

Li said the finding would help historians study the cultural and social life of the Han Dynasty.

Tri-colored glazed pottery - normally in yellow, green and white - became popular in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), and some pieces of the ancient artware have survived to this day.

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