Chinese archaeologists have discovered a warriors cemetery dating back to the Warring State (475-221 BC) in central China's Henan Province.

The graveyard was found during implementation of a culture relics protection project at Wuligang Hill of Tangyin County.

The warriors cemetery covers an area of 200,000 square meters where more than 200 tombs had already been unearthed. There is an estimation of 500 tombs in the cemetery, according to the archaeologists.

"No funeral objects were unearthed. The tomb owners were all young male people, " said Kong Demin, an official with local archaeology department, adding the clues proves that the tombs were warriors tombs.

"The tombs, all in same construction form, are lining up in order," he said. This also indicates the area was used as warriors cemetery.

Archaeologists had discovered some tombs near the area in 1982, the expert said.

During the excavations in 1982, many skeletons with wound marks from knife-cuts or arrow-hits were unearthed from the tombs, he added.

"A famous war between ancient Chinese kingdoms, involved over 100,000 warriors, occurred at a battlefield, where Tangyin county lies, in 257 B.C.," said Hao Benxing, researcher with the Henan Provincial Institute of Culture Relics and Archaeology.

(Xinhua News Agency October 14, 2006)