Tangut necropolis
The Tangut necropolis ( Xixia ) is one of the world's largest necropolis with an area of about 50 km². The tombs are located at the foot of the Helan Mountains in the autonomous region of Ningxia , 40 km west of the provincial capital Yinchuan .
On the so far little explored area there are nine royal tombs and around 250 graves of officials and notables of the Tangut . In particular, the 25 to 30 m high royal tombs, mostly enclosed by a wall, reflect the wealth of the Tangut rulers. Inside there are artistically painted burial chambers and statues.
The facility was made famous at the beginning of the 20th century by European Central Asia travelers such as Sven Hedin and Aurel Stein and was first photographed from the air in 1938 by Wulf-Dieter Graf zu Castell . Today, Chinese archaeologists are particularly keen to preserve the buildings of the complex and to preserve the original condition of the statuettes and burial chambers found.
Web links
- Article about the grave complex
- Detailed research report (PDF)
Coordinates: 38 ° 26 ′ 6.1 ″ N , 105 ° 59 ′ 13.8 ″ E