14 DAY TRIAL // In a report in the journal Chinese Cultural Relics, archaeologists announce the discovery of a bonanza of jewelry in a tomb in Nanjing, the capital city of China's Jiangsu province.
The burial place is estimated to be about 5 centuries old, which means that it dates back to the Ming Dynasty, i.e. 1368-1644. It was discovered by chance by workers at a construction site.
Among the jewels found hidden in this tomb are bracelets, a fragrance box and hairpins, all made of gold and engraved with carefully sculpted gems such as rubies and sapphires.
Photos of these pieces of jewelry found in Nanjing were included in the Chinese Cultural Relics report detailing this astounding archaeological find and are available in the gallery below.
The tomb that produced the centuries-old artifacts was excavated by archaeologists with the Nanjing Municipal Museum and the Jiangning Disctrict Museum of Nanjing City back in 2008.
The reason we're just now learning about their discoveries is that it took a while for their initial report to be translated into English and be published in the journal Chinese Cultural Relics.
A skeleton was also found inside the tomb
Apart from the gold jewelry, the team of researchers who excavated the burial place came across skeletal remains and two stone epitaphs that they managed to decipher.
It was thus discovered that the tomb and the jewelry belonged to a woman by the name of Lady Mei. This woman was born in 1430 and died at the age of 45, archaeologists say.
When about 15 years old, Lady Mei married one Mu Bin, who historians say was a duke who used to rule over the province of Yunnan. Before marrying Mu Bin, Lady Mei was his concubine.
“Lady Mei was probably a concubine whom he married after he went to guard and rule Yunnan,” archaeologists write in the journal Chinese Cultural Relics, as cited by Live Science.
Following the death of her husband after merely 6 years of marriage, young Lady Mei raised their son, named Mu Zong, to become the new duke of the Yunnan province.
“She raised the third-generation duke. She managed the family with strong discipline and diligence, and kept the internal domestic affairs in great order, and no one had any complaint,” the epitaphs read.
As mentioned, Lady Mei died when she was just 45 years old. The epitaphs found in her tomb and detailing her life say that she passed away after falling ill and that her death was mourned by hundreds.
