Ancient tombstone tells family history in North China village

A 412-year-old tombstone carrying the history of a family was unearthed in North China's Hebei province, the local government said Friday.

The tombstone, dating back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), was discovered on a road construction site in Feixiang district under the city of Handan.

Measuring 163 cm in height, 63.5 cm in width and 19.3 cm in thickness, the tombstone carried a 392-character inscription narrating the history of a family's migration from Shanxi province, their contributions to society, the house master's life and more.

"The tombstone provides valuable materials for the research of the local funeral culture and folk customs," said Zhang Haiyin, head of the local bureau of culture, radio, TV and press.

The master couple's coffin chamber and two coffins were also unearthed.