An archaeologist clears away earth from a pottery figurine during an excavation of a Tang Dynasty (618¨C906 A.D.) tomb west of Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province December 31. More than thirty coloured pottery figurines have been unearthed from the tomb. Ancient pottery figurines are seen in the earth during the excavation of a Tang Dynasty (618C906 A.D.) tomb. An archaeologist clears away earth from pottery figurines.

(Xinhua News Agency January 2, 2007)