Historically, the custom of burying animals to accompany the dead was seen as a demonstration of wealth. Hu says that it was common for the wealthy to be buried with ordinary livestock, like pigs, sheep and cows, but for royalty, being buried with high-value animals was a symbol of social status.

According to Cao Long, a researcher at the Shaanxi Academy of Archaeology who was part of the Baling excavation, there is a long history of taking animals from royal gardens for use as sacrifices.

He adds that while historical literature suggests that Emperor Wen was frugal, and cut back on many of the decorations for his tomb, it still conformed to the expectations for an emperor's tomb, and the large number of animal sacrifices is proof of this.

Contact the writer at wangru1@chinadaily.com.cn