ULAN BATOR, July 27 (Xinhua) -- The cemetery complexes of the Xiongnu nobility in Mongolia have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, local media reported on Monday, citing the ministry of culture, sports, tourism and youth.

The inscription was approved during the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee held in Busan, South Korea, from July 19 to 29, raising the total number of World Heritage sites in Mongolia to seven, the ministry said.

The newly inscribed site comprises eight funerary complexes of the Xiongnu nobility. The Xiongnu, ancient predecessors of a confederation of Eurasian nomadic peoples, established a powerful empire between the 3rd century BCE and the 2nd century CE that eventually occupied a vast territory centered on what is now Mongolia, according to UNESCO.

A wide range of artefacts found in the tombs, including horse tack and chariots as well as weapons, tools and food for the afterlife, provides a window into the Xiongnu way of life and social structure. ■