Two tombs, as well as other artifacts presumed to date back to the 4th and 6th centuries have been unearthed in Hanoi’s Ciputra residential district.

The fully intact tombs were accidentally discovered by workers building a drainage system in the residential zone near Thang Long Bridge.

The tombs were constructed from refined bricks and their arched ceilings are said to be wholly different from any burial sites previously discovered. Chinese characters are inscribed on some of the bricks.

Nguyen Thi Mai Huong, a representative at the Institute of Historical Research said that portions of a charred rice harvest have been preserved in the tomb.

An antique well was discovered a hundred meters from the tombs by archaeologist Nguyen Van Minh. The discoveries are presumed to date back to the same period. Following a preliminary review of the site, Minh and his colleagues presume that the objects belonged to the ancient denizens of the Red River.

The team intends to request permission to conduct further surveys around the site and have proposed a number of options going forward.

The team has suggested cordoning off the location and making the tomb available for public viewings.

The other option is to relocate all of the tomb’s contents to the Hanoi museum.

The worst option, the archaeologists say, would be to remove a few specific artifacts for research and then rebury the site to allow for construction to resume.