285 Gold Coins And 20 Plates Found In A 2000-Year-Old Chinese Tomb

The largest finding of ‘gold coins’ in a Han Dynasty tomb has been confirmed by Excavation experts. The gold coins and plates date back to the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC – 24 AD). These treasures were unearthed from the tomb of the first “Haihunhou” (Marquis of Haihun) in east China’s Jiangxi Province.

The tomb’s main owner is thought to belong to Liu He, who was the grandson of Emperor Wudi, the longest-reigning emperor of the Han Dynasty and also regarded as the ruler who led his dynasty to prosperity. 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.

Aside from 285 gold coins and 20 large gold plates, a portrait of Confucius, nearly 3,000 wooden tablets and bamboo slips and a large number of bronze, gold and jade items were also found in the said tomb.

Yang Jun, the leader of the excavation team said, “if we had received the information one day late, the treasures of the ‘Haihunhou’ tomb would have been stolen.”

Apparently, the excavation team received news that the tomb was being ransacked and so they proceeded to unearth the tomb back in 2011.

Source: CCTVNews