On Friday, over 378 gold coins found from the tomb of the first “Haihunhou” (Marquis of Haihun) in Nanchang City, the largest discovery of gold coins in any Han Dynasty tomb.
The new finds include 20 thin plates about 22 centimeters long and 10 centimeters wide.
Archaeologists say it is the largest discovery of gold coins in any Han Dynasty tomb. The gold coins, most of which weigh about 250 grams, were unearthed from the tomb of a nobleman, Liu He, who is thought to have received the title ‘Haihunhou,’ or ‘Marquis of Haihun,’ after he was deposed as emperor after just 27 days. Haihun is the ancient name of a very small kingdom in the north of Jiangxi province, in southeast China.
Liu He was the grandson of Emperor Wu, the seventh emperor of China’s Han Dynasty, and his tomb is thought to date back to between 206 BC and 24 AD, during the Western Han Dynasty.
Over 10 tons Han Dynasty coins have been reported found unearthed from the same tomb before.
The sheer number of coins corroborates records that show China had significant gold reserve in that period. Records of the Western Han Dynasty speak of a general being rewarded with more than 50,000 kilograms of gold and a prince leaving 100,000 kilograms of gold when he died, Duan Qingbo, a professor with Northwest University said.
The tomb dates back to Western Han Dynasty (206 BC – 24 AD). It is thought to belong to Liu He, grandson of Emperor Wu. Liu was given the title “Haihunhou” after he was deposed as emperor after only 27 days. Haihun is the ancient name of a very small kingdom in the north of Jiangxi.
The main chamber of the tomb in the Haihunhou cemetery is still being searched. With a floor size of roughly 40,000 square meters with eight tombs and a burial site for chariot horses, it is the most complete Western Han Dynasty cemetery found to date.
The excavation began in 2011. Artifacts unearthed so far include a portrait of Confucius, nearly 3,000 wooden tablets and bamboo slips and a large number of bronze, gold and jade items.
