Experts have deciphered the mystery surrounding a Han Dynasty mummy more than 2,000 years old in China, with an extremely vivid face, smooth hair, elastic limbs, and movable joints.
The exhibition “The quintessence of Ma Vuong Doi ancient tissue objects of the Han Dynasty” is jointly organized by Shanxi Museum and Hunan Provincial Museum. A total of more than 120 rare and precious artifacts were introduced to viewers for the first time. Among them, the non-decomposing “Tan Truyen lady” mummy has attracted the special attention of posterity.
In 1972 of the last century, this strange mummy was discovered in the suburbs of Trường Sa city, Hunan province, China. The mummy in the grave is still quite intact after many years. She was identified as the wife of Tan Truyen, who died at the age of 50 and was the wife of a Han dynasty official in Truong Sa more than 2,000 years ago.
What makes the archaeologists most surprised is the vividness expressed on the face and body of this mummy. Her facial features including eyes, nose, mouth are still very clear, hair is smooth and shiny, skin is soft and moist, limbs are elastic, even the joints of all four limbs can be moved.
After performing the surgery, experts also revealed that the internal organs of this mummy were still quite complete. There are more than 100 melon seeds “present” in the stomach and small intestine of the mummy.
The cause of death and the method of mummification are big question marks for scientists. It is known that the body of Lady Tan Truyen when she died was wrapped by more than 20 layers of silk cloth, soaked in the “eternal immortality” medicine and placed in four coffins. There are up to 5 tons of coal surrounded and this tomb is buried more than 15m deep under the soil.
Professor, Doctor Luo Hoc Cang – Director of the Center for the Protection of Antiquities of the Ma Vuong Doi Tombs of the Han Dynasty, of Zhongnan University, said that a red liquid was found in the coffin of Mrs. is a mixture of many substances, such as arsenic, cinnabar, mercury… Even many traditional herbs were found in the coffin. It is these things that are soaked together that give the solution such a deep red color. Scientists believe that this solution has kept Tan Truyen’s body from decomposing and rotting for more than 2,000 years. It has both a bactericidal effect and a very good preservation of the body.
According to Professor La, the 2,000-year-old integrity of the Tan Truyen mummy is “full of randomness”. In addition to the anti-rot methods, the dry environment, which is beneficial to preserving the body, the sealed coffin, preventing outside bacteria from entering are also the reasons for the mummy’s body to remain intact. . Moreover, Ma Vuong Doi’s tomb has never been robbed. In other words, it is geological conditions and human factors that have made that miracle.
Scientific scientists have tried to reconstruct the image of her face when she was alive. Take a look at some restored images of “Lady Tan Truyen” below: