Beijing, Dec 20 (IANS): Archaeologists in China's Hebei province have excavated an ancient tomb that dates back over 2,000 years, a media report said on Tuesday.

Excavation work began on November 1 at the tomb, located in a village in Mancheng district in Baoding city. Based on the unearthed items and structure of the tomb, the tomb is believed to have been built in the western Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-25 A.D.), experts with the provincial cultural relics institute said, Xinhua news agency reported.

The 6.6-metre-long, 6-metre-wide tomb may be a subordinate tomb of the prince Liu Sheng which was unearthed in 1968, where a famous burial suit of jade sewn together with gold wire was found.

A total of 49 items, including colourful pottery, jade ware and bronze ware, have been discovered in the newly unearthed tomb, providing valuable material for the study of Han history.

Three holes were found in the tomb, believed to have been dug by grave robbers. Experts said some items had probably been stolen from the tomb.