Archaeologists have unearthed more than two million copper coins from an ancient complex of tombs in the Xinjiang District of China. The 2,000-year-old currency, adorned with Chinese symbols, characters, and a square hole in the center, was discovered at a dig site in the city of Nanchang. The value of the coins is estimated to be around £104,000 ($157,340), and experts believe the main tomb belongs to Liu He, the grandson of Emperor Wu, the greatest ruler of the Han Dynasty.
Archaeologists have unearthed more than two million copper coins from an ancient complex of tombs in the Xinjiang District of China. The dynasty ruled between 206 BC and 25 AD.
Experts hope the discovery, which also includes 10,000 other gold, bronze, and iron items, chimes, bamboo slips, and tomb figurines, may now shed more light on the life of nobility from ancient times. The find follows a five-year excavation process on the site, which houses eight tombs and a chariot burial site. It covers 430,550 sq ft (40,000 square meters) with walls that stretch for almost 9,690 ft (900 meters), and experts believe Liu’s wife is buried in one of the tombs, as reported by RT.
Xin Lixiang, a researcher from the China National Museum, said the next step is to explore the tomb for items that will provide a clearer idea of the occupant. “There may be a royal seal and jade clothes that will suggest the status and identity of the tomb’s occupant,” he said. Chinese people started using coins as currency around 1,200 BC, where instead of trading small farming implements and knives, they would melt them down into small round objects and then turn them back into knives and farm implements when needed.
In the early stages, coins were known as ‘knife money’ or ‘tool money.’ As people began to rely on them more for commerce, they were replaced by copper coins of very low value, often featuring holes in the middle. The holes allowed the coins to be strung together to create larger denominations, with typically around 1,000 coins on a single string being worth one tael of pure silver.
The 2,000-year-old money, bearing Chinese symbols, characters, and a square hole in the center, was found at a dig site in the city of Nanchang.
The ancient money, adorned with Chinese symbols, characters, and a square hole at its center, was discovered at a dig site in the Xinjian District in the city of Nanchang, the capital of East China’s Jiangxi Province.
The presence of a hole allowed the coins to be strung together, forming larger denominations. Typically, around 1,000 coins on a single string were equivalent to one tael of pure silver.
The discovery, which includes 10,000 other gold, bronze, and iron items, chimes, bamboo slips, and tomb figurines, is anticipated to provide further insights into the lives of nobility in ancient times.
At face value, these items would be valued at around £104,060 ($157,340), but due to their age and historical significance, they are believed to be worth far more. A single coin, in fact, can sell for thousands of pounds, although during its time, copper coins had a very low value.
The Western Han Dynasty was considered the first unified and powerful empire in Chinese history. While various theories surround the fall of the Western Han Dynasty, recent research suggests that human interaction with the environment played a central role in its demise.
The discovery follows a five-year excavation process at the site in Nanchang, which houses eight tombs and a chariot burial site. Covering 430,550 square feet (40,000 square meters) with walls stretching for almost 9,690 feet (900 meters), experts believe that Liyu’s wife is buried in one of the tombs.
Chinese people began using coins as currency around 1,200 BC. Instead of trading small farming implements and knives, they would melt them down into small round objects and then fashion them back into knives.
At face value, they would be valued at around £104,060 ($157,340), but because of their age and history, they are believed to be worth far more. A single coin can, in fact, sell for thousands of pounds, although at the time, copper coins had a very low value.
A census taken by China in 2 AD suggests the area struck by the massive 14-17 AD flood was very heavily populated, with an average of 122 people per square kilometer, or approximately 9.5 million people living directly in the flood’s path.
By AD 20-21, the devastated region had become the center of a rebellion that would end the Western Han Dynasty’s five-century reign of power. Along with the tons of coins found were also chimes, bamboo slips, and tomb figurines, all of which accompanied deceased nobles of the past when they were buried underground. The items discovered have promised to help fill in more gaps as historians try to complete the puzzle of ancient Chinese burial customs.