Chinese archaeologists discover 'massive' tomb complex in Beijing

Archaeologists in China have unearthed a "massive tomb complex" in a Beijing suburb, The Beijing News reports.

The Beijing Institute of Cultural Heritage announced the find on Monday, adding that the complex is a rare find, thanks to its size and its location in the Daxing district's Sanhezhuang village. The site includes 129 tombs and was built over the course of roughly 1,100 years, according to The Beijing News. It was under construction from the Eastern Han Dynasty, which began in 25 C.E., through the Liao Dynasty, which ended in 1125 C.E.

Some of the tombs include murals that depict people and furniture, and the archaeologists found pottery, porcelain, and funeral objects at the burial site.

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The tombs were first discovered in 2010 after a residential complex had been commissioned on top of the site. But the site's full importance was only recently realized as archaeologists continued the process of excavating the tombs. In 2014, Beijing passed a mandate that land plots must be screened for relics before undergoing construction.