Mongolia
I have recently had a bit of a rest from writing as certain adjustments are being made in my life and, quite frankly, there has been little to report anyway. The new digging season, at least in the northern hemisphere, is just about under way, so soon we should be receiving news of interesting new finds.
A recent find in Mongolia, however, has shown the riches that were traded along the famous and ancient Silk Road. A body has been found covered in silk (the silk trade gives the road its name) and also an incredibly valuable bowl has ancient Greek gods carved into it. Also found were many gold pieces of jewellery. No doubt the individual was extremely wealthy, and the archaeologists believe the body may have been that of an elite family.
Although the digs were carried out between 2012 and 2014, as usual it can take many years for the findings to be released. This is often the result of the time consuming work required to unravel the finds – in this case a coffin – as ancient textiles especially can disintegrate on exposure to the air or by being handled. Also, finds are kept under wraps (another great pun!) until the site has been deemed to be secure to stop grave robbers coming along and destroying the rest of the possible artefacts that may be in the same area.
The grave here dates to around 1,500 years ago, and archaeologists believe this to be a rich burial belonging to the Northern Wei Dynasty, which flourished between 386 to 534 AD. The bowl shows depictions of “Zeus, Hera, Athena and Aphrodite”, according to this report. The body itself is still covered in silk so the archaeologists do not know anything about the occupant, such is the difficulty in removing the silk without damage.

http://www.livescience.com/58630-ancient-cemetery-found-inner-mongolia.html