Discovered In China In 1971 And Known As “Lady Dai,” She Is The Best-Preserved Human Mummy In History, With A Full Head Of Hair And Blood Still In Her Veins Over 2,000 Years After Her Death
More than 2,000 years after her death, a mummified woman named Xin Zhui, also known as Lady Dai still has a full head of luscious hair and blood in her veins.
She was the wife of a high-ranking nobleman named Li Cang and lived sometime during China’s Han Dynasty, which spanned from 206 B.C. to 220 A.D. She is noted as the best-preserved human mummy in history.
In 1971, workers digging an air raid shelter near Changsha stumbled across her massive, perfectly preserved tomb buried deep within a hillside. Her tomb was filled with more than 1,000 precious objects that showcased the comfortable life she led as a minor aristocrat.
There were beauty products, exquisite lacquerware, clothing, and 162 wooden figurines that represented her staff of servants. There were even containers of her favorite meals laid out for her to enjoy in the afterlife.
While the structure and the artifacts it held were impressive, the discovery of Lady Dai’s body was the most awe-inspiring of all. When she was unearthed, researchers found that her skin had maintained its elasticity and was still soft and moist to the touch.
All her original hair was intact, including her eyelashes, eyebrows, and the hair on her head and in her nostrils. She was also pliable enough for the researchers to bend her limbs.
Lady Dai was so well-kept that an autopsy was able to be performed on her. During the autopsy, it was discovered that she had died in 163 B.C. Her organs were still in place, and her veins were filled with type-A blood. Within her veins were clots, revealing that her cause of death was a heart attack.
Although she was only around 50 years old when she died, she suffered from an array of ailments, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, gallstones, and liver disease. Her lavish lifestyle and over-indulgent diet were thought to contribute to her health complications and, ultimately, her demise.
The researchers also detected 138 undigested melon seeds in her stomach and intestines. The seeds would’ve taken an hour to digest. So, she had likely eaten the seeds right before her death.
chedtha – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
Researchers credit the airtight tomb for her magnificent preservation. Lady Dai was located about 40 feet underground within a small pine box layered with four other boxes.
Her body was wrapped in 20 layers of silk fabric and was soaking in 21 gallons of a mysterious liquid.
When the liquid was tested, it was found to be slightly acidic and contained traces of magnesium. It was believed that the liquid may have helped preserve the body by preventing bacteria from growing.
In the tomb, a thick layer of paste-like soil covered the ground. It was packed with charcoal and clay, which helped to absorb moisture and seal off the room, keeping oxygen and bacteria out.
The top was also covered with three feet of clay, blocking any water from leaking through.
Currently, Lady Dai is at the Hunan Provincial Museum and is being studied for research on corpse preservation.
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