Chinese archaeologists have uncovered around 2,000-year-old ancient game boards inside tombs dating to the Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 220) during excavations in Shaanxi province in the northwest of the country. The finds, brought to light in a project conducted by the Shaanxi Academy of Archaeology, are considered highly significant for what they reveal about the social life, entertainment culture and funerary practices of ancient Chinese society.
The mysterious game in the tombs: Liubo
The most striking discoveries from the excavations were two ancient game boards unearthed in burial structures labeled M4 and M17 [1]. Analysis indicates that these boards belonged to Liubo, a traditional board game known to have been highly popular in ancient China. Inscribed and laid out on flat surfaces, the game boards are seen as symbolic of the belief that people would continue to play this game not only in daily life but also in the afterlife.
A rich historical landscape
Shaanxi province is a region with a rich archaeological landscape that hosted some of the most splendid periods of Chinese history. Earlier discoveries in the area include aristocratic tombs from the Eastern Zhou Dynasty [2] and the monumental mausoleum of Emperor Wendi of the Western Han Dynasty [3]. The latest finds once again highlight how the region retained its status as a political and cultural center of China over thousands of years.
In addition to the game boards, archaeologists have identified a shared burial ground dating to the Northern Zhou Dynasty (557-581), as well as newly uncovered tomb structures from the Sixteen Kingdoms period (304-439) and the Tang Dynasty (618-907) in the same area. These multilayered discoveries provide researchers with unique data for understanding both cultural continuity and social change in the region.
Sources and further reading
- [1] 2000-year-old chessboards found in Han Dynasty tombs
- [2] Archaeologists find 2,000-year-old tombs in NW China's Shaanxi - CGTN
- [3] Mausoleum of Han Dynasty emperor found in China's Shaanxi - People's Daily Online
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