Unprecedented treasure discovered in 2,000-year-old tomb

A total of 285 gold coins have been unearthed at a 2,000-year-old tomb in Nanchang, capital of China's Jiangxi Province.

About 96 of these gold coins were found on December 24, along with the gold discs that were first discovered on December 25.

Gold coins found in ancient tomb.

Excavation experts confirmed that this is the largest number of gold coins found in a Han Dynasty tomb. These gold coins and gold plates show the high status of the person buried in the tomb.

The tomb of the nobleman “Hai Hon Hau” dates from the Early Han Dynasty (206 BC – 24 AD).

Xinhua said each coin weighs about 250 grams, similar to the 189 gold coins found earlier.

The tomb's owner is believed to be Liu He, the grandson of Emperor Wu of Han, the longest-reigning emperor of the Han Dynasty, and also considered the king who led the dynasty to prosperity.

Excavation work at the site began in 2011 after an archaeological team from Jiangxi province received a report that an ancient tomb was being robbed.

“If we had received the information even just one day later, the treasure in the Hai Hon Hou tomb would have been stolen,” said Yang Jun, head of the archaeological team.

A total of 20,000 artifacts have been excavated so far, with 358 gold objects found in the tomb. The coffin will be preserved in a low-oxygen laboratory.

The laboratory is also preparing to preserve and maintain the ancient remains believed to be inside the coffin after opening it in early January 2016.

According to Vietnam+