An elaborate mausoleum that was built for a king 2,100 years ago has been unearthed in China.
Archaeologists discovered numerous precious treasures from jade artefacts and musical instruments to life-sized decorated chariots and weapons, which were buried with king Liu Fei in an area of modern day Xuyi County.
Liu Fei ruled the kingdom of Jiangdu – part of the Chinese Empire – for 26 years before dying in 128 BC.
An elaborate mausoleum that was built for king Liu Fei, who ruled Jiangdu 2,100 years ago, has been unearthed in China. It contains three tombs as well as pits housing the chariots and weapons, where archeologists found more than 10,000 precious artefacts. The tomb of Liu Fei is shown at the bottom of the image
Archaeologists found a second tomb adjacent to the king’s.
No one knows who was buried there but they must have been of high status, experts said.
Archaeologists found pottery and lacquered objects made of gold and silver, plus jades.
A Jade Coffin was the most important discovery. It is the only intact one of its kind ever discovered.
A series of 11 tombs were found to the north of the king’s, but they are not thought to contain human sacrifices as this practice had died out by the time the king was buried.
They yielded gold belt hooks in the shapes of a goose and a rabbit and one revealed artefacts engraved with the name Nao.
Records indicate that Liu Fei had a beautiful consort called Lady Nao, but it is not certain whether the tomb belongs to her or a relative.
It is thought that the mausoleum was plundered long ago, but archaeologists still found over 10,000 artefacts, some of which were crafted from gold, silver and jade.
Excavations of the mausoleum, which comprises three tombs as well as pits housing the chariots and weapons, took place between 2009 and 2011, LiveScience reported.
According to the journal of Chinese Archaeology, a team from Nanjing Museum examined the remains of a well that surrounded the complex, which was built to be 1,608 ft (490 metres) long.
They worked quickly to document the site, which they said was at risk from quarrying.
A large mound of earth once protected the king’s tomb, which has two shafts leading to a roomy burial chamber measuring 115ft by 85ft (35 by 26 metres). It contained goods fit for a king in his afterlife, the archaeologists explained.
This is an image of a chariot-and-horse pit, made of wood, lacquer, bronze, gold and silver, found in one of the pits in the mausoleum where archaeologists found the tomb of Liu Fei. The chariots were among items buried with the ruler that would be helpful in the afterlife
The bronze mat weight (pictured top left) was found in the tomb adjacent to Liu Fei’s. It contains inlaid gold, silver and gemstones. A gold rabbit belt hook (pictured right) was also found in one of the tombs
Archaeologists found a second tomb adjacent to the king’s. A Jade Coffin (pictured) was the most important discovery. It is the only intact one of its kind ever discovered
Historical texts recount the king’s lavish lifestyle, so it came as little surprise to archaeologists that he was buried in such luxurious surroundings.
Weapons discovered in the burial chamber included iron swords, crossbows, knives and more than 20 model chariots, alongside instruments such as chime bells and parts for a stringed instrument called a zither.
Archaeologists discovered numerous precious treasures from jade artefacts and musical instruments to life-sized decorated chariots, which were buried with king Liu Fei in an area of modern day Xuyi County in Jiangsu (marked on the map)
This gilded bronze elephant sculpture, (pictured left) found in Liu Fei’s tomb, shows an elephant and its mahout, the person who works with, tends and rides the elephant. During the second century BC China had contact with groups in Southeast Asia where elephants could be found. Another figurine is of a rhino and his groomer (right)
The king’s tomb includes musical instruments, such as chime bells (pictured) which were discovered alongside elaborate monster and dragon-shaped rack stands
Because, according to ancient tradition, the king needed riches in the afterlife, a hoard of 100,000 coins containing a square hole in the centre of each, were buried with him. The banliang coins were made by the first emperor of China.
This is the tomb of Liu Fei, the ruler of the Jiangdu kingdom in the Chinese Empire. It is just possible to pick out the different chambers of the tomb
Goose and deer-shaped lamps were discovered in another part of the chamber as well as a silver basin, while another area, set up like a kitchen, catered for the king’s food needs in the afterlife.
Cauldrons, wine jars, tripods, jugs and cups were found as well as shells, bones and seeds, suggesting that food was left with the king.
Despite the rich selection of artefacts that survived a past plundering, the king’s body was not found in the tomb and his coffins were damaged.
‘Near the coffins many jade pieces and fragments, originally parts of the jade burial suit, were discovered. These pieces also indicate that the inner coffin, originally lacquered and inlaid with jade plaques, was exquisitely manufactured,’ the archaeologists wrote in the journal.
Off the main burial chamber, more pits were found housing a jumble of weapons such as swords and shields, as well as two chariot pits.
One contains five life-size chariots, made of wood and elaborately decorated with lacquer. Some parts of the vehicles were inlaid with gold and silver.
Other looted tombs were also discovered, which could belong to high status individuals. An undamaged ‘jade coffin’ is the only one of its kind to have been found in China.
Liu Fei’s financial needs, for the afterlife, were provided for with a treasury of over 100,000 banliang coins, (pictured). These coins contain a square hole in the middle and were created when China was unified under the first emperor, who died 210 BC
Off the main burial chamber, more pits were found housing a jumble of weapons such as swords and shields, as well as two chariot pits. Colourful wheels are pictured
Liu Fei’s tomb alone contains about 8,000 artifacts, including treasures made of gold, silver, jade and lacquer. Two bronze lamps in the shape of deer (pictured left) are gilded with gold. A monster-shaped rack stand, (pictured right) made of bronze and inlaid with silver, accompanies the chime bells in Liu Fei’s tomb