Chinese archaeologists have found a 2200-year-old graveyard containing the remains of children in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

According to Chen Yongzhi, vice director of the regional archeological research center, nearly 20 tombs at the 100-square meter graveyard were unearthed at the ruins of ancient Tuchengzi Town in Helinger County.

The archaeologists spotted many earthenware jar-shaped coffins for housing the children's remains inside the tombs, which date back to the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - 24 AD).

But the experts did not find any funerary objects in the tombs, Chen said, adding that more graveyards may exist in the surrounding area.

Chen indicated that the infantile death rate during the period was high owing to poor living conditions and atrocious weather in the frontier region of ancient China.

Covering an area of four sq km, the ancient Tuchengzi city survived a long period from the Spring and Autumn Period (770 BC-476 BC), the Warring States Period (475 BC-221 BC), Northern Wei (386-534) to Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. Currently, the Tuchengzi city is under state protection.

(Xinhua News Agency February 25, 2006)