Four years ago, a carriage driven by six horses, considered as a symbol of the highest rank and used only for the emperor in ancient times, was discovered in Luoyang. Recently, a similar carriage was excavated again in the city's West Tanggong Road. This one, also driven by six horses, has been preserved in an even better condition than the last one. However, whether it is also an imperial carriage has not been confirmed yet.

This reporter at the scene saw that excavation work on two pits containing horses buried with head facing south, had been finished. Both pits separated by a mud wall were kept in a very good condition. In the north side, there was one carriage with six horses. In the south, two carriages were discovered, each being driven by two horses.

A worker at the excavation site said the pit in the north side measured 4.3 meters long and 3.8 meters wide. There were two horses at the front, and two horses each at the shafts of the carriage. On the left and right sides of the carriage, there were two horses buried underneath the carriage. The largest carriage has an axle measuring 2.7 meters long, even bigger than the carriage used by the King of Zhou in Luoyang. That carriage is now on display in the Zhou King Exhibition Hall in Luoyang.

Was the newly discovered carriage also used by a King? It has to be confirmed yet. However, officials of the local cultural relics bureau said that one thing that is certain that the two carriage pits were located within the tomb area of the king of Eastern Zhou (770 BC - 256 BC). Among the six horses, two were definitely used for pulling the carriage. If there were some reins showing that the rest of the fours horses were also tied to the carriage, then it was for sure that this carriage was used by a king. However, right now, excavators haven't discovered any traces of reins linking the four horses with the carriage.

The worker said that if six horses were buried in one pit, then they should be provided only for the carriage. However, since the excavation area is relatively small, it is still not sure whether it is a royal carriage or not.

Director of the Luoyang Cultural Relics Bureau Guo Yinqiang said that if there were six horses buried together with one carriage, the carriage should be used by a king.
 
(Chinanews.cn August 22, 2006)