The Mystery of the Mawangdui Han Tomb in Changsha When tourists come to Changsha, in addition to climbing Yuelu Mountain and taking in the surrounding scenery, most of them also go to the Mawangdui Han Tomb and its museum to see the unearthed remains of Han Tomb No. 1.
The rotten ancient female corpse, as well as the grand scene displayed in tomb No. 3.
Surrounding these two ancient tombs, there is a mystery worth exploring.
The Mystery of the Incorruptibility of Ancient Corpses The excavation of Han Tomb No. 1 at Mawangdui in Changsha was an astonishing discovery in the archaeological community of our country, and it also had a profound impact on the history of world archaeology.
This is because, after more than 2,000 years, the body of the tomb’s hostess, a noble lady, as well as the burial utensils and funerary objects, are all exceptionally well preserved. Especially the female corpse, whose skin was still elastic when it was first unearthed.
This is almost unbelievable, but it is true. So, what methods did the ancients use to preserve the ancient corpses so well?
After analysis and research, people seem to have discovered several reasons.
The first is the near-vacuum tomb chamber conditions.
The tomb was built at a depth of less than 16 meters, with a large earth mound with a base diameter of 50-60 meters and a height of more than 20 meters. It is airtight and water-proof, and is extremely closed.
The body was then buried in a six-layer thick wooden coffin painted on the coffin, which was filled with sticky and dense white plaster mud and highly hygroscopic charcoal.
These layers of "checkpoints" render water and air corroded powerless, thus creating a unique environment isolated from the outside world, close to a vacuum or even a vacuum.
Second, people discovered a red liquid in the coffin.
This nocturnal body undoubtedly has an antiseptic effect. It is a preservative specially injected during burial. This special preservative can kill the bacteria that accompany the corpse and burial objects.
There are records about preservatives in ancient Chinese medicine books.
However, it is still unknown what substances this red liquid is made of.
Third, after the tomb is sealed, it can not only eliminate the damage caused by external light, temperature, humidity, etc. to the burial furniture, funerary objects, and corpses, but also form a constant temperature and relatively stable humidity in the tomb, so that the entire tomb is in a fixed environment.
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What's even more wonderful is that during the original excavation, people used shovels to dig holes into the tomb chamber, and a strong airflow spewed out from inside.
This sharp outflow of air indicates that the atmospheric pressure inside the tomb is higher than outside the tomb.
This kind of air flow is due to the biogas produced by the bacteria brought in at the beginning of the burial. The accumulation of biogas reaches saturation, thereby increasing the pressure in the tomb. The saturated biogas has a killing effect on bacteria, and the high pressure also makes the bacteria unable to
Survival, this is the same as the sterilization principle of inflatable cans.
In addition, people have also analyzed other reasons, and they are all reasonable.
But so far, no one has been able to figure out what the red liquid in the coffins is. It is not known when this strange mystery will be solved.
Solving the mystery of the "resurrection" of the female corpse in Mawangdui "Chinese detective" also wants to "resurrection" Qin Shihuang
In January this year, Professor Zhao Chengwen, a famous criminal expert from the China Criminal Police Academy who successfully restored the true appearance of Princess Ming of Jiangxi, came to Changsha at the invitation of the Hunan Provincial Museum. In accordance with the requirements of the Provincial Museum, he used the computer portrait combination system he developed and invented.
"Police Star CCK-Ⅲ" restored the appearance of Princess Changsha into three age groups.
It is reported that the Hunan Provincial Museum will make a full-length wax figure of the prime minister's wife based on the restored head portrait information, and will display it when the cultural relics from the Mawangdui Han Tomb are moved to the new exhibition hall this year.
The picture above is a mock drawing during the restoration process, and its standard drawing will be launched by the Hunan Provincial Museum in the near future.
(Photo by Hunan Channel reporter Long Hongtao) The "true appearance" of the female corpse before the autopsy. The model of the Mawangdui Ancient Tomb No. 1. The pathological research team composed of female corpse experts before the autopsy at the excavation site of the Mawangdui Ancient Tomb No. 1 is conducting dissection work.
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(The second tallest person from the left is Professor Peng Longxiang, the team leader and chief surgeon) Photos of Professor Peng Longxiang’s work in the excavated No. 1 tomb. More reports——＞＞Experts say that the Mawangdui female corpse “can live for another 500 years”
"Details>> "I was the first to discover the secret of the Mawangdui female corpse" - Exclusive interview with the surgeon who performed the autopsy on the Mawangdui female corpse. Details>> The Mawangdui female corpse more than 2,000 years ago was "resurrected" by the Chinese police.
Content >> It is certainly curious to know what the noble lady from two thousand years ago looked like.
Perhaps, following her appearance, we can vaguely glimpse the "daily lifestyle" two thousand years ago.
After looking at the restored image, you will find that her appearance is just like the woman you pass by on the street, a little pretty and a little tired.
Because of this amiable appearance, you would imagine that in the Western Han Dynasty two thousand years ago, in a luxurious mansion in Changsha, this pampered woman, like modern women, likes to "applique yellow in the mirror" and use makeup to "please herself"
Pleasant”.