LHASA, May 17 (Xinhua) -- More than 100 ancient tombs have been discovered in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, according to the regional cultural protection institute.

Archeologists found the tombs late last year during the excavation of a graveyard covering more than 200,000 square meters in Quxu County, said Norbu Tashi, a researcher at the institute.

Due to centuries of erosion by rain and the impact of human activities, the tombs all show signs of damage to various degrees, according to archeologists.

When excavating two of the tombs, archeologists found pieces of human bone and ceramic relics, which radiocarbon tests showed were 1,180 to 1,286 years old.

"As the excavation continues, it will shed more light on how tombs were built in ancient times as well as the broader cultural landscape in the region," said Norbu Tashi.