The tomb of Liu Fei, king of the ancient kingdom of Jiangsu, has been discovered by archaeologists from Nanjing University.
King Liu Fei was leader of Jiangsu, a province of China, more that 2,100 years ago. He ruled for 26 years and died in 128 BC. His mausoleum contains more than 10,000 historical artifacts as reported by Live Science. The excavation of the mausoleum occurred between 2009 and 2011 and a translated report was eventually published in the journal Chinese Archaeology. Along with the main tomb of the King, the mausoleum also contained tombs for attendants and pits where weapons and chariots were placed.
The objects found in the mausoleum ranged from cups and pitchers to treasures made from gold, silver and jade. Some especially notable discoveries within the mausoleum are that of elephant and rhinoceros sculptures. These works of art provide support to the idea that trade existed between China and other parts of the world back in Liu Fei’s time according to the International Business Times. The first intact jade coffin in Chinese history was also found within the mausoleum, in a tomb next to the king’s.