At Mawangdui in Changsha, the 2nd-century BC tomb excavated in 1972 is one of archaeology’s most important finds. It held Xin Zhui, also known as Lady Dai, a Western Han noblewoman and wife of Li Cang, the Marquis of Changsha, who served as chancellor. Her body retained skin, hair, muscle tissue, fingerprints, type A blood in her veins and moist skin. Four nested coffins enclosed her, the outer lacquered black and red with dragon motifs. 🏺
Changsha’s 2,000-year-old Xin Zhui (Lady Dai) is among the world’s best-preserved mummies
Site mentioned
Key facts
- Mawangdui Tomb No. 1 in Changsha was excavated in 1972; the burial dates to the 2nd century BC, more than 2,000 years ago.
- Xin Zhui, also known as Lady Dai, was a Western Han noblewoman and wife of Li Cang, the Marquis of Changsha, who served as chancellor. She was not a chancellor.
- Four nested coffins enclosed her; the outer was lacquered black and red and decorated with dragon motifs.
- Her remains retained skin, hair, muscle tissue and fingerprints; type A blood remained in her veins and her skin was still moist.
- The Mawangdui tombs are a major archaeological find that illuminate Western Han burial and body-preservation practices.
Sources
victormaxsmith.com
Linked in video description
The search for immortality: The Tomb of Lady Daismarthistory.org
The discovery of three tombs at Mawangdui in Hunan Province, China in 1972 yielded thousands of artifacts, including some of the world's oldest ...
Mawangdui | Han Tomb, Han Dynasty, Ancient Chinabritannica.com
Mawangdui, archaeological site uncovered in 1963 near Changsha, It is the burial place of a high-ranking official, the marquess of Dai, The ...
Changsha: Mawangdui Tombsflickr.com
The Mawangdui Tombs in Changsha are one of the world's greatest archaeological treasures, due to an incredible degree of preservation. Over 3000 cultural
Miraculous Mawangdui Han Dynasty Tombs - Teo Exhibitionsteo-exhibitions.com
The excavation of three Western Han Dynasty tombs in Mawangdui, Changsha, Hunan Province from 1972 to 1974 was a significant discovery in the history of ...
Changsha / Mawangdui Tomb No. 1sa.trip.com
Mawangdui Han Tombs No. 1 is the burial site of Lady Xin Zhui, wife of Li Cang, the Chancellor of Changsha Kingdom and Marquis of Dai during the ...
Rediscovering the Mawangdui Han Tombsglobaltimes.cn
Among the findings is a remarkable discovery known as China's "Sleeping Beauty" (Lady Xin Zhui), an over 2,100-year-old lady who looks nearly as ...
The Mawangdui Han Tombs: a 2000-year-old Time Capsule ...heychinaculture.com
Discovered accidentally in the 1970s, this trio of Western Han Dynasty (206 BCE–9 CE) tombs became a sensation for preserving not only treasures ...
Was this story useful?
Keep exploring
Every site on this page sits on the globe, and the people who research them are on the Discord.
3D Globe · Sites by country · Story Archive · Research Library · Weekly Journal · Search
AI-generated text · images from the original sources · always verify with the sources.