Archaeologists in China have excavated a rare turtle-shaped brick tomb dating back to about 800 years which may contain human remains of several generations.
The tomb of the mid to late Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) was discovered in April by a villager in Shangzhuang village of Shanxi Province while he was building the foundation for his new house.
With a height of four metres, the tomb consists of an octagonal burial chamber and five small rooms at the chamber's northern, northeastern, northwestern, southeastern and southwestern sides, said Bai Shuzhang of the provincial institute of archeology.
The design makes it look like a turtle from above.
Inside, seven sides of the chamber are embedded with 21 brick carvings, three on each side.
The works depict folk tales about filial sons.
Analysis from the unearthed human remains suggest the tomb was shared by several generations of people, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Bai said the tomb's shape is unusual and the brick carvings are important for research on funeral customs during the dynasty.
