Archaeologists have made a stunning discovery of more than 80 stone carvings and building units, dating back about 1,300 years, at the Leigutai caves of the Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang, Henan province. The Longmen Grottoes Research Institute, 【小题1】 oversees the UNESCO World Heritage Site, made the announcement as the Leigutai caves reopened to the public on Wednesday after renovation.

The relics, unearthed during renovation inside the west wall of the south cave of Leigutai, are believed to have been used as materials 【小题2】 (strengthen) the wall during restoration work after an earthquake struck the area in the 16th century.

“This is the first time archaeologists 【小题3】 (find) statues inside a wall at the Longmen Grottoes,” Lu Wei, director of the history and humanities research center of the institute, told China Daily. A well-preserved stone Buddha head, 38 centimeters in height and 22 centimeters in 【小题4】 (wide), is among the stunning finds. “Judging 【小题5】 the overall appearance, it has a distinctive artistic style 【小题6】 (associate) with the zenith of the Tang Dynasty,” he said.

Lu said the relics inside the wall 【小题7】 (be) probably part of cave debris after the quake. “The discovery has shed light on Buddhist statue art during the Tang Dynasty, the development of the Leigutai area, ancient socioeconomic development 【小题8】 religious practices,” he said.

Luoyang was the national capital during Empress Wu’s reign. Many members of the royal family and aristocracy then held the belief 【小题9】 building caves would bring them good fortune, thus gradually forming the large-scale Longmen Grottoes. During the Northern Song period (960-1127), Emperor Zhenzong (968-1022) paid a visit to the grottoes and ordered a major renovation at the site, repairing more than 15,000 statues.

In November 2000, the Longmen Grottoes were included on the UNESCO World Heritage list, 【小题10】 first such honor for an archaeological site in Henan.

The Terracotta Warriors is a household name worldwide. Now, 2lst-century science is making astonishing new discoveries of these world famous 【小题1】(wonder). The year was 221BC. In Mexico, the city of Teotihaucan was expanding to become ancient America’s greatest city. In Egypt, the city of Alexandria boasted a 130-meter lighthouse, one of the 【小题2】(tall) buildings in the world. And in China, 【小题3】 team of craftsmen began one of mankind’s most incredible creations.

In 1974, farmers 【小题4】(dig) a well near the Chinese city of Xi’an discovered their works — strange pieces of clay sculpted in human form. 8000 clay warriors 【小题5】 (bury) in three pits (坑) near the tomb of one of history’s most 【小题6】( power) men, calling himself Shihuangdi.

More than 2000 years 【小题7】, he unified (统一) seven warring kingdoms into a single empire called China, giving himself the title of “first emperor” and building himself one of the biggest pyramid tombs ever 【小题8】(see) on earth.

Why did China’s first emperor order 8000 life-size clay soldiers for his tomb? And 【小题9】did his artists make those 8000 statues, each nearly 2 meters tall and weighing up to 300kilograms? Archaeology is still uncovering 【小题10】(them) secrets.

Howard Carter is one of the most famous explorers in the world. He was brave and loved to discover new places. By the 1920s, he 【小题1】(start)searching for the tombs of the Egyptian Kings. In 1922, Howard Carter and his team made their most 【小题2】 (amaze) discovery of all. They came across the tomb of King Tutankhamun, 【小题3】 contained more treasure than any of them had ever seen before, as well as the mummy of the king. After 【小题4】 (look) into the tomb, they closed it. 【小题5】 (unlucky), many of the men who had something to do 【小题6】 the opening of the tomb got ill or even died after that. Some people think the 【小题7】(death) were just coincidence or the curse of mummy. 【小题8】 (other) believe there is a 【小题9】 (science) reason. What is certain, though, is that She curse of the mummy' remains 【小题10】 riddle to this day.