Discovering a 2,000-Year-Old Tomb Filled with Gold in Xinjiang: The Mysterious Skull of the Tomb Owner with a Piercing Hole

At the intersection of Nai Duy Niou and A Lap Kou in Xinjiang, China, there is a small village called “Niu Er Kou”. This area, one of the lowest points of the Tianshan mountain range, was a crucial point north and south of the ancient Silk Road.

Predominantly ancient nomads operated here, leaving numerous ruins and historical tombs on this sandy, sun-drenched land.

During the construction of the Ngu Nhi Cau railway station, workers discovered 2,000-year-old ancient tombs.

In particular, 45 years ago, while building the Yuergou railway station, workers discovered a series of ancient tombs of various sizes. Among these tombs there was one that stood out for its extraordinary content. It contained countless national treasure-level gold artifacts, including a golden lion weighing up to a ton, which amazed the entire country and even the world.

The “Golden Tomb” in Xinjiang

In 1976, during the construction of Yuergou Station, railway workers unearthed many ancient tombs. Initially, they discovered more than 20 large and small tombs, including numerous bronze and ceramic artifacts, but none had significant archaeological value.

Archaeologists have discovered a tomb full of gold and priceless treasures.

The Xinjiang Institute of Archeology and Cultural Relics stated that these tombs date from the Spring and Autumn period to the Qin and Han dynasties, and that their occupants were nomadic ethnic minorities.

Later, more tombs were discovered in the area, totaling more than 80. Among them was an exceptionally large tomb filled with an unprecedented amount of gold, silver, and treasure. For this reason, this tomb is known as the “Golden Tomb.”

Gold treasures discovered in the tomb

The “Golden Tomb” is 7.1 meters deep, approximately 6.56 meters long and 4.22 meters wide. It is a vertical tomb lined with cobblestones, simple and rough in design, reflecting the ancient nomadic lifestyle. Inside, eight gold plaques engraved with images of tigers, four gold tiger-shaped belt buckles, a gold lion-shaped plaque, and more than 200 other gold decorations such as gold beads and flowers were discovered.

Lots of gold in this 2,000-year-old tomb.

What surprised experts the most was a gold plate in the shape of a lion that weighed almost a ton. Additionally, the archaeological team found the oldest lacquer product in the Central Plain (now China) inside the tomb.

The golden lion card weighs 1 ton and is realistically carved.

Carbon 14 dating indicates that the tomb’s occupant was buried between 2,345 and 2,135 years ago. Therefore, the discovery of this lacquer is of great importance. So who was the mysterious occupant of this tomb? Why were there so many gold artifacts buried with her?

Some artifacts, golden cards inside the tomb.

The mystery of the owner of the ancient tomb

After opening the sarcophagus, the archaeologists found a human skeleton. Tests revealed that the occupant of the tomb lived about 2,135 years ago and was a woman who was around 30 years old at the time of her death. The most surprising find was a hole in the skull, similar to a gunshot wound.

To this day, the identity of the owner of the gold-filled tomb remains a mystery.

After a long period of study, experts determined that this hole was the result of “trepanation” surgery, which was a common practice among ancient Chinese nomads.

When someone suffered from head ailments, a hole was made in their head to relieve the pain. However, this surgery had a high risk of causing death if not performed carefully.

Experts believe the female occupant was probably the daughter or wife of a chief of the Saka tribe more than 2,000 years ago.

Skull with hole discovered in grave

More than 3,000 years ago, the Saka tribe prospered in the Pamir Mountains, Tianshan and most of northern Xinjiang. They depended on water and vegetation and officially entered a class society at the end of the 3rd century BC. C., finally establishing a state.

In the “Book of Han”, it is mentioned that the Saka people play an important role in the Xinjiang area. This tribe greatly revered gold, so most of the funerary objects in their tombs were made of gold. The female occupant of this tomb probably held an important position in the tribe. Given her early death, when she was in her early 30s, experts speculate that she may have been the daughter or wife of Chief Saka.

However, there is still no evidence or definitive conclusion about the identity of the mysterious woman in the “Golden Tomb.”