GUANGZHOU, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Ten tombs, some of which date back 1,800 years, have been discovered during the construction of new apartment blocks just outside the downtown area of Guangzhou, south China.

    Archaeologists excavated the site and found half of the tombs were built in the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) or Tang Dynasty (618-907). Others are believed to belong to the Jin (317-581), Yuan (1271-1368), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.

    All the tombs, covering an area of 1,000 square meters, had underground chambers either built from brick or wood and mud.

    The excavation was conducted by the Guangzhou Archaeological Research Institute from October to early November.

    The archaeologists also unearthed 125 historical artifacts, including pottery utensils, china, lacquer work, bronze and jade ornaments, said Ma Jianguo, an expert with the institute.

    The funerary objects unearthed from the tombs will be displayed at museums and a protection zone will be set up to protect the area from the construction project, the expert said.

    The most valuable discoveries were ornaments made from agate and a 40-cm tall color-painted glaze pottery jar unearthed from a Han tomb, indicating the owner enjoyed a high social status.

    The artifacts will provide clues on how people lived, as well as the funerary customs of the different eras, the expert added.