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Some historical records of ancient real estate transactions may unveil intriguing accounts of discovering treasure vaults, containers, and urns containing precious gold and silver.
Influenced by the frugal ideals of Confucianism, ancient Chinese people had a habit of saving money. However, in ancient times with no banks, how did they preserve their wealth within their households?
Ancient China employed two remarkably simple methods for securing wealth: digging treasure vaults and concealing valuables in hidden pits.
1. Digging Treasure Vaults
The practice of digging treasure vaults was often adopted by wealthy elites seeking to safeguard substantial assets. They would have individuals excavate a vault directly beneath their residential area to securely store their wealth. Naturally, the exit would be concealed under the floor or disguised behind wooden cabinets, paintings, or other coverings.
Modern archaeologists often stumble upon deep underground chambers containing ancient manuscripts. These are the remnants of the elaborate treasure vaults once used by ancient Chinese civilizations.
In 1970, a renowned treasure vault was unearthed in the Hà Gia Thôn area of Tây An (Thiểm Tây, China). Among the notable findings were two vessels resembling 'large belly, small mouth' and an enormous urn, housing precious jewelry, gold and silver coins, gemstones, gold bars, silver cards, and thousands of other valuable items.
2. Concealing Wealth in Urns
The method of 'burying wealth in urns' was commonly employed among middle-class and lower-class households. Due to their limited assets, they would simply place their belongings in boxes, urns, or containers and bury them underground or hide them in discreet locations.
In the absence of modern safe deposit boxes, ancient people had to resort to various methods to keep thieves from discovering the hiding places of their wealth.
The most dangerous place was considered the safest. This is why ancient individuals didn't choose to hide their money in corners, tree roots, etc., but instead opted for the filthiest places like manure pits, restrooms, and more.
To safeguard against the worst-case scenario of thieves discovering their stashed treasure, ancient individuals ingeniously divided and buried money in layers, employing a stratagem to deceive the mind.
In this practice, they dug deep holes, divided the money into various urns and containers, then buried them in layers, with each layer containing a maximum of 1-2 treasure containers. This method ensured that thieves could only take the top layer of money-filled containers, remaining oblivious to the layers of gold and silver beneath.
Furthermore, the pit's structure was coated with a layer of solid earth and stones, comprising a sticky mixture of glutinous rice, ash, and various fragments of rocks, broken tiles, etc. When dry, this earth and stone layer became as solid as cement, posing a formidable challenge for any would-be thieves attempting to excavate.
The technique of burying money in multiple layers was also influenced by another custom. Ancient people often buried their saved money after a year of hard work, creating a new layer each year.
Some historical records of real estate transactions from ancient times reveal instances of discovering treasure vaults, with precious gold and silver-laden containers, within residential areas.
Aside from its anti-theft purpose, the method of digging treasure vaults and money pits also served as a preventive measure against sudden fires, ensuring the preservation of wealth for future generations.
(Source: Sohu)
