Tomb discovery

Construction of an Olympic shooting range in Beijing, China has been halted after workers unearthed an ancient tomb. It was located near the site of several other Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) tombs discovered in May this year during construction of the Beijing Shooting Range Hall.

Local officials said the age of the new tomb, and its connection with the others, had not yet been verified, and would require further examination. However, speculation by the Beijing Morning Press, points to it being the tomb of eunuchs that served the imperial court.

According to reports in the Beijing Times, construction workers laying pipes at the site discovered a “relatively large chamber with a structure” and informed the authorities. Experts have since unearthed a metre-thick slab and have been able to identify two finely carved “little roofs” within the chamber, the newspaper said.

Despite the discovery, Beijing’s Olympic venue construction is expected to be completed well ahead of the 2008 Olympics.