LIFE / MISCELLANY
Archeologists discover ancient Chinese Wuzhu coins in Korean tomb in North Gyeongsang Province, S.Korea
Published: Jun 06, 2018 05:38 PM
A team of South Korean archaeologist have unearthed three dagger-axes decorated with 26 ancient Chinese Wuzhu coins in a tomb in Kyongsan, a city in South Korea's North Gyeongsang Province.

According to The Hankyoreh, a popular daily newspaper in South Korea, Lee Young-hoon, the former director of the National Museum of Korea, stated that the relics should be considered national-level treasures. 

The coins were an especially notable find as only three Wuzhu coins had previously been found in tombs in South Korea. Experts believe the coins most likely belonged to a high-ranking leader that lived during the Samham period (2BC-AD4).

Wuzhu coins were first produced in 118BC, during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Chinese Han Dynasty (206BC-AD220).

The coins typically are round with a square hole in the center and the characters wu (five) and zhu (a unit of weight in ancient China) on the surface.

Production of these coins ceased in 621 during Chinese Tang Dynasty (618-907).

According to South Korea's KBS News, the discovery will help shine a light on trade relations between the two nations in ancient times.