Mawangdui Han Tombs

Mawangdui is an archaeological site located in Changsha, China. The site consists of two saddle-shaped hills and contained the tombs of three people from the western Han dynasty (206 BCE – 9 CE): Marquis Li Cang, his wife, and a male believed to have been their son. The site was excavated from 1972 to 1974. Most of the artifacts from Mawangdui are displayed at the Hunan Provincial Museum. It was called "King Ma's Mound" because it was initially (erroneously) thought to be the tomb of Ma Yin (853–930), a ruler of the Chu kingdom during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.

History

It is no exaggeration to say that the Mawangdui Han Tombs is an open book to the glorious West Han Dynasty. All three tombs were excavated between 1972 and 1974. According to the research this place was a family graveyard from at least two thousand years ago. The tombs are very grand and complicated as well. Number 1 and Number 3 tombs were in excellent condition when excavated and Number 1 tomb is the largest among the three. Number 1 and Number 2 tombs have been in filled. Number 3 tomb has been preserved and covered by a ceiling for the benefit of the visitors.

Structure

The tombs were made of large cypress planks. The outside of the tombs were layered with white clay and charcoal; white clay layering was a practice that originated with Chu burials, while charcoal layering was a practice that was followed during the early western Han Dynasty in the Changsha area. The tombs contained nested lacquered coffins, a Chu burial custom. The tombs also followed the burial practices dictated by Emperor Wen of Han, containing no jade or precious metals.

Historical Relics

More than 3,000 relics have been unearthed from the three tombs, such as silk products, silk books, silk paintings, lacquer works, potteries, bamboo slips used for writing, weapons, herbs, and so on. The number of the lacquer works is the largest, including ancient cooking vessels, boxes, kettles, plates and folding screens, and the like. Red or black colors were painted on them. Most of the potteries contain food. The mouths of the containers were tightly stuffed by grass and mud. Bamboo brands with the name of the food tied on the outside of the containers' necks.

The silk clothes from Number 1 tomb are in a variety of styles and of fine workmanship. One of the most outstanding representatives is a silk coat which is as light as the mist and as fine as gossamer. It is 1.28 meters (about 1.40 yards) in length with a pair of long sleeves, but weighs only 49 grams. Amazing! The coffin excavated from Number 1 tomb is decorated with the odd images of animals and gods on its lacquered surface and has a relatively high artistic value.

The excavation of Number 1 tomb at Mawangdui can not only be considered a wonder in Chinese archeology, but also leave a profound effect world archeological history. The reason is that the corpse of this tomb's owner---a noble lady and other articles buried with the dead were extremely well-preserved for more than 2,000 years, especially the corpse. When disinterred from the tomb, her corpse was complete and the whole body was still moist and supple. Some of her joints could move; her organs and surrounding tissues were still intact, and the skin still flexible; she was as if she had been buried yesterday. This is hard to believe and extraordinarily rare to see both at home and abroad, but definitely true. This female corpse is a special body different from mummies and adipocere. Meanwhile it is also a scientific miracle in the study of antisepsis, shocking the whole world and attracting the attention of both scholars and visitors.

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