The man, together with others, stole several ancient tombs from the two-week period and was prosecuted on suspicion of excavating ancient tombs

The Paper's special correspondent Fei Danyi

A man in Linfen, Shanxi Province, together with others, stole several ancient tombs from the two-week period and was arrested by the public security organs nearly 9 years later. After finding that the theft of the tomb caused the destruction of the original tomb structure and the lack of relics, causing irreparable losses to the two-week historical and cultural research, the man was prosecuted for suspected crimes of excavating ancient tombs.

On January 11, 2022, the China Procuratorate Network published the indictment of the case. According to the indictment, defendant Guan X, male, born in 1985, primary school education, farming, was arrested by the police of baozhuang police station of Haizhou Branch of Lianyungang City Public Security Bureau on April 6, 2021, arrested by the police of Baozhuang Police Station of Haizhou Branch of Lianyungang City Public Security Bureau on April 10, arrested by the Xiangfen County Public Security Bureau on May 14, 2021, and arrested by the Xiangfen County Public Security Bureau on the same day.

After lawful review, it was ascertained that in August and September 2012, Qi X (deceased) contributed 10,000 yuan, Liu X A contacted Liu X A and Dong X A, and Dong X A contacted the defendants Guan X X, Wang X A, Kong X X, Qin X X, Dong X B, Wang X B (the above eight people have been sentenced) and others to excavate an ancient tomb in the cultivated land of Dong X A's family in the southwest of Jiao Village, Zhao Kang Town, Xiangfen County, Shanxi Province, and excavated more than ten bronze artifacts, including bronze dings and bronze chimes. The stolen bronze dings and bronze chimes were sold to Liang by Liu Moujia for 1.4 million yuan. According to the Shanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Exchange Center, the stolen tombs are tombs of the two-week period, and the theft of the tombs has caused the destruction of the original tomb structure and the lack of relics, causing irreparable losses to the study of the history and culture of the two weeks. The cultural relics involved in the case recovered were identified as four second-class cultural relics and two third-class cultural relics.

A few days after this tomb robbery, defendant Guan X, Together with Liu X. Yi, Dong X A, Wang X A, Dong X B, and others, once again excavated an ancient tomb in the cultivated land of Dong X A's family, and stole seven bronze chimes. Liu Mouyi bid about 300,000 yuan to take away the stolen chimes. According to the Shanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Exchange Center, the stolen tombs are tombs of the two-week period, and the theft of the tombs has caused the destruction of the original tomb structure and the lack of relics, causing irreparable losses to the study of the history and culture of the two weeks.

Around July 2012, defendant Guan X, together with Dong X A, Wang X A, Dong X B, Zhao X A, and others, excavated an ancient tomb in the field of Hu X X's family in Shaoping Village, Zhao Kang Town, Xiangfen County, and stole bronze dings, bronze chimes and other cultural relics. The stolen cultural relics were sold to Qi by Dong Moujia and Wang Moujia and others through Liu Moujia's introduction. After identification, the tomb is a tomb of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty and has certain historical and cultural value. The theft of the tomb caused the destruction of the original tomb structure and the lack of residual information, causing irreparable losses to the protection and research of ancient history and culture.

A few days after this tomb robbery, defendant Guan X, together with Dong X A, Wang X A, Dong X B, Zhao X A, and others, once again excavated an ancient tomb on the south side of Wang X's family's cultivated land at the junction of Jiao Village and Shaoping Village in Zhao Kang Town, Xiangfen County, Shanxi Province, and stole five bronze dings, eight bronze chimes, and other bronze artifacts, which were later resold by Wang X and others. According to the Shanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Exchange Center, the stolen tombs are tombs of the two-week period, and the theft of the tombs has caused the destruction of the original tomb structure and the lack of relics, causing irreparable losses to the study of the history and culture of the two weeks.

The People's Procuratorate of Xiangfen County, Shanxi Province, held that the defendant Guan X, together with others, had repeatedly excavated ancient tombs, and his conduct had violated the provisions of Article 328 of the Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China, the facts of the crime were clear, the evidence was credible and sufficient, and he should be investigated for criminal responsibility for the crime of excavating ancient tombs. Defendant Guan X admits guilt and accepts punishment, and in accordance with article 15 of the Criminal Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China, may be given a lenient disposition. In accordance with the provisions of Article 176 of the Criminal Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China, a public prosecution is initiated and sentenced in accordance with law.

Editor-in-charge: Yubing Tang