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Highest-ranking Xia Dynasty noble tombs discovered in China, dating to the age of Minoan Crete_我的网站

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    Coffin chamber M13 Photo: Courtesy of the Shanxi Provincial Institute of ArchaeologyThe highest-ranking noble cemetery complex from the late Xia Dynasty (c.2070BC-c.1600BC) ever discovered has been unearthed at the Zhongcun site in North China's Shanxi Province, expanding research on Xia and Shang (c.1600BC-1046BC) civilizations and early state formation in ancient China, according to a press release that the local institute of archaeology sent to the Global Times on Monday.
Located on a hilly terrace west of the Taihang Mountains and flanked by the Songxi River, the site was excavated in 2024 and 2025 by the Shanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology and partner institutions, leading to the discovery of 18 tombs, including six Xia Dynasty burial sites and 12 Warring States Period (475BC-221BC) graves. 
"These are the highest-ranking Xia aristocratic tombs discovered so far, indicating that this location was a regional center," the institute said.
The Xia Dynasty is traditionally regarded as China's first hereditary dynasty, though contemporaneous written records are lacking.
The well-organized Xia tombs, concentrated in the western part of the cemetery, feature uniform east-west oriented vertical earthen pits. Researchers recovered nearly 40 sets of artifacts with distinctive local cultural characteristics, including pottery, lacquerware and turquoise ornaments. 
Extended regional surveys across the Songxi River valley yielded more than 10 Xia and Shang period sites. Test excavations at nearby relic sites unearthed pottery fragments, stone tools, bronze knives, as well as tin-bronze ingots and smelting residue, providing solid evidence of early metal mining and craftsmanship. 
Local copper-iron symbiotic ore deposits confirm exploitation of these resources during the Xia and Shang eras, while typical cultural artifacts found in adjacent counties reveal widespread regional cultural exchange.
Multidisciplinary analyses further decoded the civilization's features. Ancient human remains belong primarily to the ancient population of the Central Plains with minor Mongolian Plateau ­genetic traits, forming a stable patrilineal clan. The community relied on millet farming and maintained long-distance resource trade networks. 
Artifact provenance tests trace scallop shell ornaments to the Bohai Sea, cinnabar to Hunan-Guizhou ore belts, turquoise to the eastern Qinling Mountains area, and coffin timber to local Taihang pine trees. Such diverse materials reflect close interaction among the Taihang foothills, the press release noted.
Lab restoration unveiled refined ritual relics, including a dragon-patterned lacquer cylinder with red and black stripes and an intact lacquer gu vessel (a type of wine vessel). Turquoise plaques from the site match specimens from the Erlitou site, a core Xia cultural relic, proving ­cross-regional cultural interaction. Radiocarbon dating places the site's active period between 1880BC and 1450BC, aligning with the late Xia Dynasty.
Scholars confirmed the findings have helped reshape academic understanding of Xia-Shang civilizations and reconstruct multi-level settlement patterns on the western Taihang foothills, while offering new insights into social complexity and civilization development in early China.
。         Airmen take part in the China-Belarus Swift Eagle 2026 joint training at an air force base in China in August 2026. Photo: PLA Air ForceIn August, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force is actively conducting joint training with three countries - Belarus, Thailand and Egypt - across three distant regions, with some training content and footage already released by official sources. 
A Chinese military affairs expert said the simultaneous execution of different exercises in three countries demonstrates the PLA Air Force's strategic capabilities, extending beyond homeland deployment to overseas missions.
The PLA Air Force announced on Thursday that the China-Belarus Swift Eagle 2026 airborne joint training, which opened at a PLA Air Force training center on August 12, entered its comprehensive exercise phase on Wednesday. 
Earlier, participating troops from both sides had completed basic training and coordinated refinement at the training center, laying a solid foundation for the exercise upgrade, said the PLA Air Force.
During the earlier training phase, Chinese and Belarusian troops were organized into mixed groups, learning from each other and conducting specialized drills on designated subjects. Between missions, the two sides also organized friendly sports activities, including football and tug-of-war matches, along with other cultural exchange events.
As planned, the next phase will feature full-element comprehensive drills in a combat-realistic setting, focusing on honing joint command and coordinated operational capabilities, deepening practical military cooperation, and jointly enhancing the ability to conduct joint counter-terrorism missions, said the PLA Air Force.
This marks the fourth iteration of the "Swift Eagle" series joint training between China and Belarus. Details on the equipment deployed by both sides have not yet been disclosed. 
Wang Ya'nan, editor-in-chief of the Beijing-based Aerospace Knowledge magazine, told the Global Times that Belarus is likely to follow its traditional practices, focusing on low-altitude small-scale airborne operations, possibly using Il-76 large transport aircraft, while China might deploy Y-9 or Y-20 transport aircraft for low-altitude delivery.
The joint training is not a one-way learning exercise, but rather a process of building a cooperative foundation and familiarizing both sides with each other's operational habits in the counter-terrorism domain, Wang Ya'nan said.
Shortly before the China-Belarus drill entered its new phase, Senior Colonel Chen Xi, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, announced on August 14 that from mid-August to early September, the Chinese and Egyptian air forces would hold the Eagles of Civilization 2026 joint training in Egypt.
The training will focus on subjects such as air combat tactics, air superiority operations, and combat search and rescue, and will include force employment drills. As the second iteration of its kind, the joint training will further enhance mutual trust and traditional friendship, deepen substantive cooperation between the Chinese and Egyptian militaries, and contribute to regional peace and stability, Chen said.
In May 2025, Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang briefed that from April 17 to May 4 of that year, the air forces of China and Egypt held the first "Eagles of Civilization 2025" joint training at an Egyptian air force base.
    Some of the main warplanes participating in the China-Egypt "Eagles of Civilization 2025" joint air force exercise form formation and fly over the Pyramids at very low altitudes in Cairo, Egypt on May 1, 2025. Photo: Courtesy of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air ForceThe Chinese Air Force dispatched J-10C, KJ-500 and YY-20 aircraft to participate in the training. This was the first time that China sent force packages to Africa for joint training, during which the two sides conducted drills on such subjects as air superiority operations, suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD), battlefield search and rescue, and mixed grouping. Discussions and exchanges on training models, air combat tactics and aerial refueling were also held, Zhang said.
Wang Yunfei, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Thursday that China and Egypt enjoy good military relations, and their joint exercise further enhanced mutual understanding and friendship.
The two countries' air forces share some similar training methods and tactics, and the joint exercise could pave the way for potential equipment cooperation in the future, Wang Yunfei said, noting that the Egyptian side will get an opportunity to closely observe the Chinese warplanes' capabilities.
Wang Yunfei also mentioned that, as flying to Egypt is a long-distance flight, such maneuvers could boost the PLA Air Force's long-distance combat capabilities and adaptability to diverse environments in different regions.
Meanwhile, the Chinese and Thai militaries are holding the Falcon Strike 2026 joint air force training in Thailand in August.
The Chinese side will send multiple types of aircraft and units, including ground-based air defense forces. The two sides will train on subjects such as joint air defense and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. The training marks the ninth of its kind between the two air forces and is aimed at further deepening the traditional friendship and practical cooperation between China and Thailand, Senior Colonel Jiang Bin, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, said on July 30.
According to a video posted by state broadcaster CCTV on August 13, China's Y-20 transport aircraft, J-10C fighter jets and J-10S fighter-trainers, and JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets and Alpha Jet light attack/trainer aircraft from Thailand participated in the drill.
    A J-10C fighter jet Photo: VCGAccording to Wang Ya'nan, the simultaneous execution of different exercises in three countries demonstrates the PLA Air Force's strategic reach. The ability to conduct concurrent joint training with Belarus in China, Thailand in Southeast Asia and Egypt in Africa reflects the PLA Air Force's growing capacity for global engagement and rapid deployment.
The Zhisheng (Victory) documentary series released around Army Day also showcased the PLA Air Force's capabilities.
Footage revealed the systematic application of three types of UAVs providing intelligence support to the PLA Army, Navy and Rocket Force, with the GJ-3A armed reconnaissance drone making its first public appearance. The footage also showed an H-6N bomber carrying a large missile under its fuselage, which a Chinese expert said could be a powerful air-launched ballistic missile capable of conducting anti-ship or ground-strike missions. Some reports identified the large missile as the nuclear-capable JL-1.
The PLA Air Force is building a modern force that is versatile, agile and capable of operating across domains, ready to safeguard China's national interests and contribute to regional peace, Wang Ya'nan noted.
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