Elite tombs of the Leigudun burial ground, china (materials for the course of «Archaeology of the foreign Asia»)

The article presents the abundance of the extremely rich finds that were excavated at Leigudun, Hubei Province (China). Due to epigraphical and narrative sources the two burials were identified as the tombs of royal family that ruled at the small state of Zeng; they were also dated by the last third of the V - first half of the IV centuries BC. The most complete set of armament as well as the orchestra of musical instruments were found there. The state of Zeng (called also as Sui in ancient Chinese chronics) was under the cultural and political influence of the big state of Chu, and finally the last conquered the latter.