The following are highlights of China's archeological news reported Monday:

Ancient general's tomb found

Photo taken on May 14, 2010 shows an unearthed bronze seal with Cao Xiu's name found at the tomb of Cao Xiu, a noted general from the Three Kingdoms period (220-280 A.D.) in Mangshan of Luoyang City, central China's Henan Province. Archeologists of Henan provincial cultural heritage bureau confirmed that they have founded the tomb of Cao Xiu during the tomb excavation in Mengjin County of Luoyang City at a press conference on Monday. Photo: Xinhua

Archeologists in central China's Henan Province say they have found the tomb of a noted general from the Three Kingdoms period (220-280 A.D.).

The tomb of Cao Xiu was found in Mengjin County of Luoyang City at the end of last year, said Sun Yingmin, spokesman of the Henan provincial cultural heritage bureau, at a press conference Monday.

The tomb, 50 meters long and 21 meters wide, held chinaware, copperware, liquor cups, and jars as well as some human bones, said Sun.

Tests suggested the bones belonged to a 50-year-old man and a 40-year-old woman, he said.

A bronze seal, about the size of a coin and engraved with Cao Xiu's name revealed the tomb owner's identity, he added.

Cao Xiu is recorded in Chinese history books as a courageous fighter and high-ranking officer. He died of illness in 228, but no record of his birth has been found.

Photo taken on May 12, 2010 shows the excavation site of the tomb of Cao Xiu, a noted general from the Three Kingdoms period (220-280 A.D.) in Mangshan of Luoyang City, central China's Henan Province. Archeologists of Henan provincial cultural heritage bureau confirmed that they have founded the tomb of Cao Xiu during the tomb excavation in Mengjin County of Luoyang City at a press conference on Monday. Photo: Xinhua

The tomb was similar to that of Cao Cao, found in Anyang City, of Henan Province, in December, said Sun.

History books say Cao Cao took Cao Xiu as a son, though the two were not blood relations.

The discovery of Cao Cao's tomb was listed as one of China's greatest archaeological achievements last year. However, it triggered skepticism from scholars and Internet commentators who questioned its authenticity.

Experts from Shanghai's Fudan University are trying to get DNA from Cao's descendants and compare it with the DNA extracted from a skull uncovered in the tomb.

Cao Cao (155-220 A.D.), who built the strongest and most prosperous state during the Three Kingdoms period (208-280 A.D.), is remembered for his outstanding military and political talents.

Murals found in Gansu

About 50 square meters of ancient murals were found on the walls and ceilings of a cave in northwest China's Gansu Province last week, the local government said Monday.

The well-preserved murals, found in a cave of Hongta Temple that perched atop a cliff in Dongxiang Autonomous County, portrayed the Buddha, arhat and other Buddhist figures, said Ding Youming, an official in charge of cultural affairs in the county.

The cave that housed the murals were believed to be built in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127 - 1279), said Ding. "The murals could be as old."

Taoist temple ruins in east China

Ruins of a Taoist temple at least 800 years old have been found in east China's Jiangxi Province during a national archeological survey, the local government said.

The temple was found atop a mountain 1,200 meters high in Chongren County.

The stone structure, covering 5,500 square meters, had four layers that were smaller from bottom to top.

It consisted of rocks of different shapes but no dirt, lime or cement were visible. "It's more like a work of toy bricks," said Yang Yuexiong, a local cultural official.

Yang and his colleagues were trying to understand how the rocks were transported and put together on the mountain top, which took even modern men three and a half hours to ascend.

Villager Liao Shuiying said the temple was built in Eastern Han Dynasty (24-220 A.D.), when an official named Luan Ba practiced Taoism on the mountain. "It was a tale passed down orally by the villagers from generation to generation."

Stone weapons from great wall

More than 200 primitive stone weapons about the size of basketballs were on display Monday in Luanping City, north China's Hebei Province.

The weapons were believed to be primitive forms of grenades, said Wu Yuehua, an official with the city's cultural heritage bureau.

She said they were collected from the Jinshanling section of the Great Wall by villagers living near the defence work.

"At least half of them were collected by villager Bai Chunxiang and his family," she said.

Bai, who followed his father and grandfather to collect relics from the Wall, has donated his collection to the cultural heritage bureau.

The stone grenades weighed from 10 to 50 kg each.

Wu said the weapons were at least 500 years old. Enditem