2,100 Year Old King's Mausoleum Discovered In China

I guess you can take it with you when you go.... kind of.

2,100-Year-Old King's Mausoleum Discovered in China

A 2,100-year-old mausoleum built for a king named Liu Fei has been discovered in modern-day Xuyi County in Jiangsu, China, archaeologists report.

Liu Fei died in 128 B.C. during the 26th year of his rule over a kingdom named Jiangdu, which was part of the Chinese empire.

Although the mausoleum had been plundered, archaeologists found that it still contained more than 10,000 artifacts, including treasures made of gold, silver, bronze, jade and lacquer. They also found severallife-size chariot and dozens of smaller chariots.

Am I the only one who ever wonders what has been found/discovered by looters that have never seen the light of day?? It always seems like these kinds of sites get looted and ransacked well before anyone else can get in there and see/document what it contained originally. I bet there is some insanely mind blowing artifacts that are just sitting in someone's home with nobody the wiser about where it came from, what it means, what it's used for, etc.

When archaeologists entered the burial chamber they found that Liu Fei was provided with a vast assortment of goods for the afterlife.

Such goods would have been fitting for such a "luxurious" ruler. "Liu Fei admired daring and physical prowess. He built palaces and observation towers and invited to his court all the local heroes and strong men from everywhere around," wrote ancient historian Sima Qian (145-86 B.C.), as translated by Burton Watson. "His way of life was marked by extreme arrogance and luxury."

His burial chamber is divided into a series of corridors and small chambers. The chamber contained numerous weapons, including iron swords, spearheads, crossbow triggers, halberds (a two-handled pole weapon), knives and more than 20 chariot models (not life-size).

Mini chariots? Maybe those were something like our big wheels?? It sounds like he was buried with enough stuff to keep him alive, healthy, and happy for a really long time. I guess they did that to be on the safe side. It's always better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. I guess that concept occurs to most regardless of where in time they existed.

The archaeologists also found musical instruments, including chime bells, zither bridges (the zither is a stringed instrument) and jade tuning pegs decorated with a dragon design.

Liu Fei's financial needs were not neglected, as the archaeologists also found an ancient "treasury" holding more than 100,000 banliang coins, which contain a square hole in the center and were created by the first emperor of Chinaafter the country was unified. After the first emperor died in 210 B.C., banliang coins eventually fell out of use. [Photos: Ancient Chinese Warriors Protect Secret Tomb of First Emperor]

In another section of the burial chamber archaeologists found "utilities such as goose-shaped lamps, five-branched lamps, deer-shaped lamps, lamps with a chimney or with a saucer …." They also found a silver basin containing the inscription of "the office of the Jiangdu Kingdom."

The king was also provided with a kitchen and food for the afterlife. Archaeologists found an area in the burial chamber containing bronze cauldrons, tripods, steamers, wine vessels, cups and pitchers. They also found seashells, animal bones and fruit seeds. Several clay inscriptions found held the seal of the "culinary officer of the Jiangdu Kingdom."

Sadly, the king's coffins had been damaged and the body itself was gone. "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 team writes.

I would have loved to see a pick of the jade coffin! But alas....

You can read more here as I couldn't put the entire article in my OP:
www.livescience.com...

I often wonder if people will find our things centuries down the road and treat it as such a find as these are. They'll collect everything they can find and meet up with other scientists and try to decode how we lived and thought.

a reply to: Kangaruex4Ewe

Awesome presentation. Thanks for showing us that archeological blast from the past. What a treasure trove.

The wealthy elite of any era are all the same. They would rather bury their wealth than let anyone else get it.

Just my take on the whole "for the afterlife" thing.

a reply to: Kangaruex4Ewe

Love finds like this!

Imagine the feeling that archeologists must get when walking in to a site and viewing objects that haven't been seen for centuries or millennia!

I also wonder about items lost, that have been looted or destroyed. Archaeological finds, such as this one, should be treated delicately with the utmost care. Protected, so that future generations are able to see these sites and relics. Greed is too much for some people, it's really too bad.

I can only imagine the thrill of these archeologist when they discover such amazing pieces of history. Great presentation!!

Wow, very interesting, thanks.

Tombs are often set up by a powerful kingdom then it falls and his enemies take revenge (and money) from the tomb. The Ancient Egyptians finally figured this out moving from modest Mastabas to Pyramids (come loot me) to better hidden sunken tombs but even then they were robbed in time.

If the site had all ready been looted, its amazing that so much stuff was left behind. Either they couldn't carry it all or the real treasure was greater when compared to gold and silver. We are lucky to have any remaining artifacts and very unfortunate that certain treasures of our past will never see the light of day.

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: Kangaruex4Ewe

Awesome presentation. Thanks for showing us that archeological blast from the past. What a treasure trove.

The wealthy elite of any era are all the same. They would rather bury their wealth than let anyone else get it.

Just my take on the whole "for the afterlife" thing.

Good point. I had not really thought of it like that until you said something. It's pretty sad when you think about it in that way. But I know people today that would do the same exact thing.

originally posted by: Jennyfrenzy
a reply to: Kangaruex4Ewe

Love finds like this!

Imagine the feeling that archeologists must get when walking in to a site and viewing objects that haven't been seen for centuries or millennia!

I also wonder about items lost, that have been looted or destroyed. Archaeological finds, such as this one, should be treated delicately with the utmost care. Protected, so that future generations are able to see these sites and relics. Greed is too much for some people, it's really too bad.

Greed is a powerful motivator, no doubt. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I would like to be there when they opened up something like that for the first time. It would have to be a rush for sure!!

originally posted by: Night Star
I can only imagine the thrill of these archeologist when they discover such amazing pieces of history. Great presentation!!

I know, right?? Imagine setting eyes on something that hadn't been seen for thousands of years!! It would be like Christmas morning x 1,000,000,000!

originally posted by: eisegesis
If the site had all ready been looted, its amazing that so much stuff was left behind. Either they couldn't carry it all or the real treasure was greater when compared to gold and silver. We are lucky to have any remaining artifacts and very unfortunate that certain treasures of our past will never see the light of day.

That's the exact thought that crossed my mind! If they left this stuff behind... Just imagine what they thought was worth taking!! It is a shame that looters do this and there really is no telling what exists in rich estates around the world that we will never ever see. I am amazed at the business the black market in artifact does. One would think it would be near to impossible to sell some of the stuff they do, but obviously it isn't.

Imagine paying millions for an artifact that you can never show to anyone because you bought it illegally. It seems like there would be no point in it to me, but there is for some.

I'd rather slap my name on it and share it with the world!

originally posted by: raberto86
Wow, very interesting, thanks.

You're very welcome.

originally posted by: Hanslune
Tombs are often set up by a powerful kingdom then it falls and his enemies take revenge (and money) from the tomb. The Ancient Egyptians finally figured this out moving from modest Mastabas to Pyramids (come loot me) to better hidden sunken tombs but even then they were robbed in time.

I guess it would be almost impossible to keep everyone out of everything. It would be nice if we could though. It seems like some of the sites would be almost impossible to get to for regular folks, but I guess where there is a will there is always a way.

This is a sort of irrelevant but: The lower one looks like a submarine was carved out of it, or like a mold for one.

Very cool

s+f

a reply to: Kangaruex4Ewe

Am I the only one who ever wonders what has been found/discovered by looters that have never seen the light of day?

Most of it would have been broken up for disposal. Antiquities were not widely valued by collectors before the nineteenth century. So gold and silver would have been melted down, precious stones removed and sold separately. Very little will have survived in its original form.

To piggy back off some thing Hanslune said about the Egyptian tomb robbing, often times the very tomb builders where the one's who turned around and rob them would't be surprised if this was the case in ancient China ,I was a bit surprised at the Rhino in a Chinese grave,however I did some searching around and it wasn't that uncommon.

a reply to: Spider879
Unforunately the Eastern cultures still treasure the Rhino to this day.
They believe that the horn has all sorts of mystical powers to cure things from cancer to impotency.
I am from South Africa and hear, almost on a daily basis, about how these animals are poached and their horns hacked off for these beliefs.
If something is not done VERY soon these majestic animals will become extinct in our lifetime.

PS. Sorry to the OP if i went off topic there, but just thought id share



Great post and presentation!

originally posted by: Spider879
To piggy back off some thing Hanslune said about the Egyptian tomb robbing, often times the very tomb builders where the one's who turned around and rob them would't be surprised if this was the case in ancient China ,I was a bit surprised at the Rhino in a Chinese grave,however I did some searching around and it wasn't that uncommon.

It may have been a Indian (Nepali) or Javanese Rhino and not an African but due to the trade routes of that time not impossible either.

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: Kangaruex4Ewe

The wealthy elite of any era are all the same. They would rather bury their wealth than let anyone else get it.

Just my take on the whole "for the afterlife" thing.

I guess that's possible, but the reality is that they had religions that dictated that they needed things in the afterlife (at least as far as Egypt is concerned), and so it was done with a religious purpose, not greed.

But in the same breath, I believe it is the wealthy ruling classes that create religious dogma and tradition, so you're probably correct in the end.

originally posted by: SlapMonkey

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: Kangaruex4Ewe

The wealthy elite of any era are all the same. They would rather bury their wealth than let anyone else get it.

Just my take on the whole "for the afterlife" thing.

I guess that's possible, but the reality is that they had religions that dictated that they needed things in the afterlife (at least as far as Egypt is concerned), and so it was done with a religious purpose, not greed.

But in the same breath, I believe it is the wealthy ruling classes that create religious dogma and tradition, so you're probably correct in the end.

The Chinese of that period were probably ancestor worshipers and venerated the dead who continued a 'life' after death and could use stuff from this world in the next they also had to be cared for as they could influence the lives of living beings especially their progeny.

The concept of Jingzu within Confucian thought drove this.

Religions came from believers, one sees them on ATS even today making stuff up to explain the word by magical means. That elites used religion is true but many an elite was overthrown by those following religion too. However, Confucianism is a kind of hybrid a secularized religion or it is sometimes described as a nontheistic & pantheistic and humanistic system of philosophy...or whatever.

a reply to: SlapMonkey

so it was done with a religious purpose, not greed.

Thats the claim. I used to believe that. The stuff still in the tombs didn't go anywhere, though. Kind of telling.

But in the same breath, I believe it is the wealthy ruling classes that create religious dogma and tradition, so you're probably correct in the end.

I see you worked that out, too. Wealth is usually acquired and kept by greedy people. They amass more and more beyond their needs and still its not enough. Death must be a trying prospect for them. So they hoard all their life and have it buried with them. What a waste.

a reply to: Kangaruex4Ewe

But I know people today that would do the same exact thing.

I don't know any but I have heard of some. Like the people that die and leave al their wealth to a pet cat for instance?

originally posted by: Hanslune

originally posted by: SlapMonkey

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: Kangaruex4Ewe

The wealthy elite of any era are all the same. They would rather bury their wealth than let anyone else get it.

Just my take on the whole "for the afterlife" thing.

I guess that's possible, but the reality is that they had religions that dictated that they needed things in the afterlife (at least as far as Egypt is concerned), and so it was done with a religious purpose, not greed.

But in the same breath, I believe it is the wealthy ruling classes that create religious dogma and tradition, so you're probably correct in the end.

The Chinese of that period were probably ancestor worshipers and venerated the dead who continued a 'life' after death and could use stuff from this world in the next they also had to be cared for as they could influence the lives of living beings especially their progeny.

The concept of Jingzu within Confucian thought drove this.

Religions came from believers, one sees them on ATS even today making stuff up to explain the word by magical means. That elites used religion is true but many an elite was overthrown by those following religion too. However, Confucianism is a kind of hybrid a secularized religion or it is sometimes described as a nontheistic & pantheistic and humanistic system of philosophy...or whatever.

You know something weird,my grandfather passed away when I was a kid in rural Jamaica I remember them burying his favorite stuff with him like his pipe glasses and other stuff,then they leave food on the table for him I don't remember how many days,someone said he needed those thing to take with him on the other side,keep in mind these were Catholics but the whole exercise seemed to me even back then disconnected from their regular practice.

a reply to: Spider879

Sounds like a cultural survival from ancestor or spirit worship.

a reply to: Kangaruex4Ewe

There's some very creative artwork in there. Thanks for finding and posting this, it's the kind of thread I come to ATS to read (along with space stuff, the ancient civilization things are what turn my crank), although I often don't have a mental map of the timeline, area, and culture. So these type of discoveries fill my knowledge map in a little more.

Looters seem to have missed too much for them to be intelligent looters, who would have either come back or told someone of their discovery. So it looks like a one time, carry what you can, kind of looting. Maybe, and this is quite possible, they forgot where the tomb was once they lugged their stuff who knows how many miles (does anyone know how many miles the looters would have had to take their stuff?).

Now the modern day looters have found the tomb, and these type of looters seem to at least be some kind of humanitarian looters, and the stuff will end up in a museum. Thanks for an interesting read about a part of the world and history I'm not conversant in.