Beijing: Chinese archaeologists have said that a black substance found in an ancient tomb in northwest China`s Shaanxi Province is a 2,000-year-old portion of beef.

"After months of high-tech analysis scientists confirmed the substance`s makeup," Hu Songmei, a paleontologist from the provincial archaeological institute said.

The tomb was discovered during a two-year excavation project conducted by the institute that began in 2009 in the Wanli village in the provincial capital of Xi`an.

The beef, most of which had been carbonised, is the earliest beef product discovered in China, state-run news agency Xinhua quoted Hu as saying.

The beef was discovered two years ago in a bronze pot placed in a tomb and is believed to date back to the Warring States Period (475 BC - 221 BC), she said.

Hu said the beef did not shrink, proving that it had been dried before being put into the pot.

PTI