In 2014, Tanfeng County, Guiyang City, China, planned to construct a water reservoir. During the pre-construction survey, archaeologists discovered a grave beneath the foundations of local homes.
The grave faces the river, with mountains behind it, indicating that the deceased had carefully considered feng shui principles. The burial chamber was made of earth, lacking any entrance or walls, leading archaeologists to conclude that it was a common type of civil grave, seemingly devoid of cultural relics or archaeological value.
Gold nails in the coffin. (Photo: Sohu).
However, after excavating a decayed coffin within the tomb, the archaeological team realized they were mistaken. Unlike typical wooden coffins, the nails used in this coffin were made of pure gold.
How could an ordinary person use gold for coffin nails? The experts instinctively felt that the owner of the grave must have had a noble status, and they eagerly opened the coffin lid.
The scene before them was truly overwhelming: The coffin was divided into two compartments for a male and a female body, covered with numerous burial items made of pure gold such as spoons, plates, vases… notably, a pair of exquisitely designed gold dragon-patterned cups. In addition, there were also gold ingots and jade buried alongside. The feeling of the archaeological team at this moment was as if they had just fallen into a “gold mine”!
The gold dragon-patterned cup. (Photo: Sohu).
This tomb originally lacked an inscription; the only clue about the identity of the owner was found on an engraving on a silver candle holder. From this, experts deduced that the woman inside the tomb was a lady named Tian, and her husband was a notorious landlord named Yang Jia, who lived during the Song Dynasty.
During his lifetime, Yang Jia was credited with aiding the imperial court in resisting Mongol invasions and was later assigned to manage the entire area of what is now Tanfeng County, Guiyang City. No wonder his tomb was so extravagant.
Yet, the archaeological experts nearly overlooked an important historical treasure!
