Chinese archaeologists confirmed that some 4,200 caves in Shangluo, Shaanxi province, were tombs built in the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25-220), China Daily learned on Tuesday.

According to Wang Changfu, archaeologist and director of Shangluo Museum, the 4,200 caves found on a precipice along the Danjiang and Qianyou rivers were initially considered to be residential or hiding places.

But archaeologists from Beijing and Xi'an, the provincial capital, confirmed after in-depth study, that the caves were actually tombs and special burial sites during the Eastern Han Dynasty.

This important archaeological discovery sheds new light on precipice tombs and provides important information on burial culture and ancient customs.