Ancient emperor's massive underground palace and mausoleum unearthed in China

BY MOIRA RITTER
JANUARY 11, 2023 2:51 PM



Experts said the site was built during the late Eastern Han Dynasty, nearly 2,000 years ago. Photo from ChinaNews.com shared by the Institute of Archaeology at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

A massive cemetery — including an underground palace and mausoleum — discovered in China may have belonged to an ancient emperor, experts say.

Archaeologists believe the 9,149,323-square-foot cemetery belonged to Emperor Huan, who ruled the Eastern Han Dynasty from 146 A.D. until his death in 168 A.D., according to a Jan. 9 news release from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences’ Institute of Archaeology.

Within the cemetery is the emperor’s underground palace and mausoleum, as well as mausoleum buildings, including stone halls, sleeping halls and officials’ houses. Archaeologists also said a network of roads leads in and out of the cemetery.



Archaeologists have started excavating several buildings, including a massive stone hall. Photo from ChinaNews.com shared by the Institute of Archaeology at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

Excavation of the site began in 2017, and in 2022 experts determined that the cemetery likely belonged to the emperor, the institute said.

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