A 1,400-year-old brick-lined tomb has been unearthed during construction of a drainage ditch in the commune of Xuan Hong, in central Vietnam’s Ha Yinh province. Workers discovered the arch structure of the tomb six feet under the surface in Village 2 of the rural commune and alerted the local heritage authorities.

The brickwork identifies it as a Han style tomb created during the rule of the Chinese Sui-Tang Dynasty (602-905). It is 13 feet long, three feet wide and four feet high, but the tomb was damaged during construction so what remains is only a part of it. The roof comes to a pointed arch formed by layers of bricks.

Some locals in the commune said they had found similar tombs in their gardens or during the process of building houses.

Many others said the same type of Han graves had been found in other localities in Ha Tinh.

The discovery of the ancient tomb in Xuan Hong Commune has created favourable conditions for archaeologists to study more about the Han tombs in Ha Tinh.