In another fantastic archeological find, a rarely seen and well-preserved fresco has been found in a tomb in China's northwestern Shaanxi province. This fresco dates back to the Song Dynasty, about one thousand years ago.

Tomb number M218, where the painting was discovered, is made of brick, and is nearly seven and half meters underground. A tunnel connects it with the outside world. Without any funerary objects found at the site, the fresco is the most significant discovery. Painted directly on the inner wall of the tomb, this fine fresco covers a wide range of topics and includes nearly 40 figures. The skeletons of the tomb's owners are also well preserved, as are the beds they lie on.

Sun Bingzhi, expert of Shaanxi Institute of Archeology, says, "the wooden part of the beds is preserved well. It offers importance evidence for us to research the furniture of the Song and Yuan Dynasties. It's the first discovery of its kind in Shaanxi province. There are not many discoveries like this in China. The fresco is a precious relic that will help us learn more about the calligraphy, painting, costume, music, religion, and traditional Chinese medicine of the Song Dynasty. "

As the team leader of the excavation, Sun said most of the archeological findings in Shaanxi province date back to Han and Tang Dynasties. This tomb from the Song Dynasty, which follows Tang, will bring new discoveries of the era.

(CCTV March 21, 2009)