The state-run newspaper China Daily reported that archaeologists from the Datong Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology in Datong, Shanxi province, recently discovered a large group of terracotta figurines.

The figurines, discovered in a tomb, add to the study of funeral culture, ethnic costumes, and social life in the Northern Wei Dynasty.

The Tuoba clan of the Xianbei founded the Chinese imperial dynasty Wei, which ruled northern China from 386 to 535 C.E. During a period of intense political and social upheaval, the Northern Wei dynasty unified northern China in 439 C.E. and strengthened imperial control in rural areas through reforms.

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The figurines depict people in a variety of roles, including dancers, musicians, servants, and laborers; there are also animal and vessel figurines among the group.

Archaeologists believe that the tomb owners, based on the discoveries, belonged to the upper class. Furthermore, they believe that the female musician figurines can be studied for the connections between their costumes and the national culture back then.