Record number of gold coins found in 2000-yr-old Chinese tomb

A total of 285 gold coins have been discovered in an aristocrat's tomb that dates back to the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - 24 AD), with 96 coins found on Thursday.

It is the largest finding in a Han Dynasty tomb in terms of the number of gold coins, said Xin Lixiang, head of the excavation expert panel.

They were unearthed from the tomb of the first "Haihunhou" (Marquis of Haihun) in Nanchang City, capital of east China's Jiangxi Province.

The coins weigh about 250 grams each, similar to the 189 coins found earlier, said Yang Jun, who leads the excavation team.

They have been packed in lacquer boxes. According to Yang, it appears the gold objects were awarded to the marquis by the emperor.

Researchers are still working through the main chamber of the tomb in the Haihunhou cemetery, the most complete known Western Han Dynasty cemetery. It covers roughly 40,000 square meters and contains eight tombs and a burial site for chariot-pulling horses.

The tomb is thought to belong to Liu He, grandson of Emperor Wu. Liu was given the title "Haihunhou" after he was deposed as emperor after only 27 days. Haihun is the ancient name of a very small kingdom in the north of Jiangxi.

Excavation on the site started in 2011. Artifacts unearthed so far include a portrait of Confucius, nearly 3,000 wooden tablets and bamboo slips and a large number of bronze, gold and jade items.