Large quantities of gold plates and coins unearthed in Nanchang

Archaeologists digging at the royal tombs of the Marquis of Haihun State of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24) uncovered large quantities of gold over the festive period.

A large number of hoof-shaped ingots and gold coins unearthed in the tomb of the 
Marquis of Haihun in Nanchang, east China's Jiangxi province. Over 20,000 valuable
 items have been unearthed from this tomb in five years' archaeological excavation. 
Now archaeologists are in the final stage of the excavation work 
[Credit: Chinanews/Guo Jing]

The cemetery, which contains eight tombs and a chariot burial site, has been studied for five years and has produced Wuzhu bronze coins, jade and thousands of other gold, bronze and iron items.

Gold cakes and hoof-shaped gold ware unearthed from the main coffin in the 
Haihunhou (Marquis of Haihun) cemetery, east China's Jiangxi Province 
[Credit: Xinhua/Wan Xiang]

The royal tombs are the best preserved of the Western Han Dynasty ever found in the country. It is thought the main tomb at the site in Jiangxi, an eastern Chinese province where archaeologists were digging at Christmas, belongs to Liu He, who was the grandson of Emperor Wu.

Hoof-shaped gold pieces unearthed from the Haihunhou (Marquis of Haihun) 
cemetery in Nanchang city, capital of East China's Jiangxi province 
[Credit: IC]

Liu was given the title Haihunhou, or Marquis of Haihun after he was dethroned after 27 days as emperor. It is believed he was deposed because he lacked both talent and morals.

Gold plates newly unearthed from the tomb of "Haihunhou" (Marquis of Haihun) 
in Nanchang city, capital of East China's Jiangxi province
 [Credit: Xinhua/Wan Xiang]

Other items found at the site include gold coins and plates, hoof-shaped ingots, jade pendants, a distiller, horse-drawn vehicles, a board game and 2,000-year-old bronze lamps. The goose-shaped lamps, which would have been filled with water, were designed to dispose of the smoke inside the tomb.