Archaeologists have dug out 400 cultural artifacts from a maze of 28 ancient tombs unearthed during the construction of the south-to-north water diversion project.

The local archaeological institute started excavating the 700,000 sq m graveyard near Dasima Village in Weihui City, in central China's Henan province, last June.

After 10 months of excavation, archaeologists have unearthed 28 tombs that date back to the Han (206 BC to 220), Western Jin (265 to 316), Tang (618 to 907), Song (960 to 1279), Ming (1368 to 1644) and Qing (1644 to1911) dynasties.

The tombs contain large quantities of bronze, stone, iron, bone, pearl, gold and ceramic wares, terracotta warrior-shaped figures and ancient coins, according to the archaeologists.

The south-to-north water diversion project, which runs across eight provinces and regions, has given Chinese archaeologists unprecedented opportunities to discover old treasures, the expert added.

The findings will help us study the production of ancient villages and townships as well as their customs, cultural traditions, protocols and burial rites, experts said.

The water diversion project consists of three canals, each running more than 1,200 kilometers across the eastern, central and western parts of the country.

The eastern and central routes of the scheme will require the protection of more than 700 major cultural heritage sites, with a planned excavation area surpassing 1.6 million square meters.

Last November, the Chinese government decided to allocate 50 million yuan (6.2 million U.S. dollars) for the preservation of 45 major cultural heritage sites along the two routes.

Archaeologists in Henan have excavated more than 100 ruins in the area affected by the project and will finish the work before an underground canal is dug near the sites.

(China Daily April 13, 2007)