Chinanews, Xi'an, June 25 - Shaanxi Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration announced on June 9 that four 80-cm-tall kneeling wooden tomb figures with serene faces were discovered in the M502 tomb in Linangdai Village of Hancheng recently. The figures were 500 years older than the famous Terracotta Warriors and Horses of the Qinshihuang Mausoleum, perhaps the earliest ever found.Hancheng is located in the northeast of Guanzhong Plain and beside the Yellow River. The history of Hancheng began in the Xia Dynasty (2205 - 1782 BC). Liangdai Village is located about 7 km away from Hancheng, on a terrace near the Yellow River.Currently, there are 895 tombs and 64 chariot pits of the Zhou Dynasty (11th century to 256 BC) discovered in the village. Besides, the tombs here are well preserved, especially from tomb robbers. The excavation of the tombs was started in May, 2005, with numerous cultural relics unearthed."The earliest wooden figure found previously was made by the Chu State of the Warring States Period (475 - 221 BC), and the earliest terracotta figures were made by Qin State. However, the wooden figure discovered here has updated the record," said Zhang Tianen, the chief researcher of the laboratory of Shang and Zhou dynasties of Shaanxi Archaeological Institute.