XI'AN, Dec. 29 (Xinhuanet) -- A villager in China's northwest Shaanxi Province has found what appear to be the centuries-old heads of Buddhist statues in a rubbish tip.

    Liu Ning was shocked to find the six heads in piles of waste in a 10-meter deep pit in Xi'an, the provincial capital.

    Liu, a regular rubbish-picker at the tip, was searching through construction site waste with six other villagers when he discovered the head of a Buddhist statue. He and his companions soon dug up the other five heads.

    All the heads were made of bluestone and were finely carved, said Liu, who hurried to call the police.

    The biggest head was 44 centimeters tall and the smallest 37 centimeters. Experts said a preliminary examination indicated theymight date from the Tang Dynasty (618-907AD). The old "injuries" at the bottom indicated that the heads were probably separated from the statues a long time ago, they said.

    The relics were taken to the local security bureau and police are investigating the find. The whereabouts of the statues belonging to the heads is unknown. Enditem