Chinese archaeologists have made an astonishing breakthrough in their ongoing excavation efforts: the first complete skeleton of a giant panda in a remarkable Han dynasty emperor's tomb dating back over two millennia.
The stunning find, believed to hold deep symbolic significance, offers new insights into the ancient burial practices of the era.
The giant panda, an iconic and rare creature native to China, is thought to have been ritually sacrificed to accompany Emperor Wen, who ruled between 180 and 157 BCE, on his journey to the afterlife. The remains of the panda were found within a satellite pit adjacent to the emperor's tomb, intriguingly positioned with its head oriented towards the main burial site.
The tomb's contents go beyond the giant panda, showcasing an array of exotic creatures believed to symbolize the elevated status of the Han rulers. Archaeologists have also encountered the remains of a long-extinct Asian tapir, a species that vanished from China a millennium ago and is now classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Further exploration revealed tigers, yaks and a variety of other animals were interred alongside Emperor Wen. In addition, his mother's tomb contained the remains of a captivating assortment of creatures, including a red-crowned crane, peacock, snub-nosed monkey and tortoise.
Hu shared that these remarkable creatures were found exclusively within the tombs of emperors, empresses and emperors' mothers. Some experts speculate the animals may have been offerings from southern China, hinting at a complex and intricate cultural practice that extended beyond the Han capital.
The find comes on the heels of another monumental discovery in the field of archaeology, one that saw the unearthing of a previously unknown species of gibbon within the tomb of Lady Xia, grandmother of China's inaugural emperor, Qin Shihuang.