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[[underlined]] Chapter III. [[/underlined]] 38.

tween 1 and 2 meters. In the earth filing its upper portion, just beneath the layer of top soil previously mentioned, we found potsherds of "Neolithic" type (see page 29), diminishing in number in proportion to their depth. The bottom of the passage had not been laid bare; but it can scarcely have been less than a meter, and probably more, above the leval of the spot where the body had lain. The descent to the latter may have been either by means of a ramp or by a series of steps; both methods seem to have been used in the construction of ancient Chinese tombs.
The passage had evidently been lined with wood, apparently in the form of smooth planks; for though the latter had long since disappeared, their impressions were still clearly visible in the earth. There was nothing to suggest that they had been painted or lacquered. Their former presence was further attested by the existence of a well defined plane of cleavage between the earth forming the walls of the corridor and that which filled it; the later, moreover, was distinctly softer that the former.
Several eye-witnesses told us that similar passages had been found to the east and south of the interment. These assertions it was no longer possible for us to verify, on account of the unrecorded digging that had been going on; but later excavations of ancient Chinese tombs, scientifically conducted, suggest that our informants' statements may have had some foundation in fact.

[[underlined]] Trench North of the Interment [[/underlined]]
In the northern part of the site also, the workmen had since our previous visits dug a deep trench, this time in an east-by-west direction (see pl. 10, fig. 2). In its southern wall we noticed a dark area, clear-