Some Chinese workmen have discovered the body of a woman whilst they were preparing to expand a street.
The female corpse, which was found in the city of Taizhou, in the Jiangsu Province in eastern China, the hometown of Chinese President Hu Jintao, was wearing some sort of hat and was dressed in clothes made mostly of silk. A green ring adorns a finger on her right hand.
But what is extraordinary about this woman was that she actually died almost 700 years ago.
The woman lived during the Ming Dynasty, the ruling power in China between 1368 and 1644. The woman is so well-preserved that her face, hair, skin and eyelashes all remain intact.
When the discovery was made late last month, Chinese archaeologists, from the nearby Museum of Taizhou, were called into excavate the area, the state agency Xinhua News reported.
The coffin was opened on the 1st March to great excitement.
Also in the coffin were bones, ceramics, ancient writings and other relics. Between 1979 and 2008 five mummies were found in the area, all in very good condition.
The Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644, was the era during which the Forbidden City was built and the Great Wall was restored. Even back then, China was the most populous nation on the planet, with an estimated 160 to 200 million people. It had a vast navy and a standing army consisting of a million troops.
Within the next ten years or so, China will overtake the US to become the world's biggest economy. However, it won't be the first time the giant nation has held that position because, when this woman lived, China was the richest and most technologically advanced nation on the planet.
It continued to be the richest and most advanced nation on the planet, or at least one of them, until the 19th Century when Britain, and then other European countries, forging ahead through industrialisation, took over.
She's aged well: Face of incredibly preserved 700-year-old mummy found by chance by Chinese road workers
By Oliver Pickup
4th March 2011
Daily Mail
Amazing discovery: The 700-year-old mummy was found in the city of Taizhou, in Jiangsu Province
These incredible pictures show a 700-year-old mummy, which was discovered by chance - by road workers - in excellent condition in eastern China.
The corpse of the high-ranking woman believed to be from the Ming Dynasty - the ruling power in China between 1368 and 1644 - was stumbled across by a team who were looking to expand a street.
And the mummy, which was found in the city of Taizhou, in the Jiangsu Province, along with two other wooden tombs, offers a fascinating insight into life as it was back then.
Discovered two metres below the road surface, the woman's features - from her head to her shoes - have retained their original condition, and have hardly deteriorated.
When the discovery was made by the road workers, late last month, Chinese archaeologists, from the nearby Museum of Taizhou, were called into excavate the area, the state agency Xinhua News reported.
They were surprised by the remarkably good condition of the woman's skin, hair, eyelashes and face. It was as though she had only recently died.
Oh mother! The woman, discovered two metres below the surface in a wooden tomb, was wearing a Ming Dynasty dress and is thought to have been at a high-ranking level
Immersed: The mummy was found by road workers, and had been preserved in a brown liquid
Bejewelled: The right hand of the 700-year-old mummy shows her preserved skin, and a ring adorns her finger
MING DYNASTY FACTS
The Ming Dynasty was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644
It was 'one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history' according to venerated tome A History of East Asian Civilization
Ming rule saw the construction of a vast navy and a standing army of one million troops
There were enormous construction projects, including the restoration of the Grand Canal and the Great Wall and the establishment of the Forbidden City in Beijing (pictured) during the first quarter of the 15th century
Estimates for the late-Ming population vary from 160 to 200 million
Her body, which measures 1.5 metres high, was found at the construction site immersed in a brown liquid inside the coffin.
And the coffin was opened earlier this week, on March 1, much to the excitement of the local city - and further afield. And the right hand of the 700-year-old mummy showed her preserved skin, and a ring.
The mummy was wearing traditional Ming dynasty costume, and also in the coffin were bones, ceramics, ancient writings and other relics.
This is the latest discovery after a lull of three years in the area. Indeed, between 1979 and 2008 five mummies were found, all in very good condition.
Those findings raising the interest in learning the techniques of preservation funeral of this dynasty and customs in time to bury the dead.
Director of the Museum of Taizhou, Wang Weiyin, told Xinhua that the mummy's clothes are made mostly of silk, with a little cotton.
He said usually silk and cotton are very hard to preserve and excavations found that this mummifying technology was used only at very high-profile funerals.
The first finding of the Ming Dynasty in Taizhou dates from May 1979 and led the opening of the museum.
At that time the bodies were also found intact, but due to lack of experience of archaeologists only clothing, belts and clamps could be preserved.
The Ming Dynasty, who built the Forbidden City and restored the Great Wall, marked an era of economic growth and cultural splendour which produced the first commercial contacts with the West.
Wonderfully preserved: This close up of the mummy's shoes shows how well preserved her corpse is
Raised: The group of archaeologists, from the Museum of Taizhou, are shown lifting the corpse out of the coffins to examine their find
Exciting find: A map of the Ming Dynasty (left) - two other wooden coffins were also discovered
dailymail.co.uk
The female corpse, which was found in the city of Taizhou, in the Jiangsu Province in eastern China, the hometown of Chinese President Hu Jintao, was wearing some sort of hat and was dressed in clothes made mostly of silk. A green ring adorns a finger on her right hand.
But what is extraordinary about this woman was that she actually died almost 700 years ago.
The woman lived during the Ming Dynasty, the ruling power in China between 1368 and 1644. The woman is so well-preserved that her face, hair, skin and eyelashes all remain intact.
When the discovery was made late last month, Chinese archaeologists, from the nearby Museum of Taizhou, were called into excavate the area, the state agency Xinhua News reported.
The coffin was opened on the 1st March to great excitement.
Also in the coffin were bones, ceramics, ancient writings and other relics. Between 1979 and 2008 five mummies were found in the area, all in very good condition.
The Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644, was the era during which the Forbidden City was built and the Great Wall was restored. Even back then, China was the most populous nation on the planet, with an estimated 160 to 200 million people. It had a vast navy and a standing army consisting of a million troops.
Within the next ten years or so, China will overtake the US to become the world's biggest economy. However, it won't be the first time the giant nation has held that position because, when this woman lived, China was the richest and most technologically advanced nation on the planet.
It continued to be the richest and most advanced nation on the planet, or at least one of them, until the 19th Century when Britain, and then other European countries, forging ahead through industrialisation, took over.
She's aged well: Face of incredibly preserved 700-year-old mummy found by chance by Chinese road workers
By Oliver Pickup
4th March 2011
Daily Mail
- Eyebrows still intact highlighting amazing level of preservation
- Mummy believed to be a high-ranking member of the Ming Dynasty
- Wearing silk and cotton, she's the first major discovery in years in the area
Amazing discovery: The 700-year-old mummy was found in the city of Taizhou, in Jiangsu Province
These incredible pictures show a 700-year-old mummy, which was discovered by chance - by road workers - in excellent condition in eastern China.
The corpse of the high-ranking woman believed to be from the Ming Dynasty - the ruling power in China between 1368 and 1644 - was stumbled across by a team who were looking to expand a street.
And the mummy, which was found in the city of Taizhou, in the Jiangsu Province, along with two other wooden tombs, offers a fascinating insight into life as it was back then.
Discovered two metres below the road surface, the woman's features - from her head to her shoes - have retained their original condition, and have hardly deteriorated.
When the discovery was made by the road workers, late last month, Chinese archaeologists, from the nearby Museum of Taizhou, were called into excavate the area, the state agency Xinhua News reported.
They were surprised by the remarkably good condition of the woman's skin, hair, eyelashes and face. It was as though she had only recently died.
Oh mother! The woman, discovered two metres below the surface in a wooden tomb, was wearing a Ming Dynasty dress and is thought to have been at a high-ranking level
Immersed: The mummy was found by road workers, and had been preserved in a brown liquid
Bejewelled: The right hand of the 700-year-old mummy shows her preserved skin, and a ring adorns her finger
MING DYNASTY FACTS
The Ming Dynasty was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644
It was 'one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history' according to venerated tome A History of East Asian Civilization
Ming rule saw the construction of a vast navy and a standing army of one million troops
There were enormous construction projects, including the restoration of the Grand Canal and the Great Wall and the establishment of the Forbidden City in Beijing (pictured) during the first quarter of the 15th century
Estimates for the late-Ming population vary from 160 to 200 million
Her body, which measures 1.5 metres high, was found at the construction site immersed in a brown liquid inside the coffin.
And the coffin was opened earlier this week, on March 1, much to the excitement of the local city - and further afield. And the right hand of the 700-year-old mummy showed her preserved skin, and a ring.
The mummy was wearing traditional Ming dynasty costume, and also in the coffin were bones, ceramics, ancient writings and other relics.
This is the latest discovery after a lull of three years in the area. Indeed, between 1979 and 2008 five mummies were found, all in very good condition.
Those findings raising the interest in learning the techniques of preservation funeral of this dynasty and customs in time to bury the dead.
Director of the Museum of Taizhou, Wang Weiyin, told Xinhua that the mummy's clothes are made mostly of silk, with a little cotton.
He said usually silk and cotton are very hard to preserve and excavations found that this mummifying technology was used only at very high-profile funerals.
The first finding of the Ming Dynasty in Taizhou dates from May 1979 and led the opening of the museum.
At that time the bodies were also found intact, but due to lack of experience of archaeologists only clothing, belts and clamps could be preserved.
The Ming Dynasty, who built the Forbidden City and restored the Great Wall, marked an era of economic growth and cultural splendour which produced the first commercial contacts with the West.
Wonderfully preserved: This close up of the mummy's shoes shows how well preserved her corpse is
Raised: The group of archaeologists, from the Museum of Taizhou, are shown lifting the corpse out of the coffins to examine their find
Exciting find: A map of the Ming Dynasty (left) - two other wooden coffins were also discovered
dailymail.co.uk
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Good genes make them forever young. But I digress....