introduction
In July 1986, Chayuanshan Primary School on Yangqiao West Road, Gulou District, Fuzhou City, took advantage of the summer vacation to prepare to build a playground for the school. Just as the workers were leveling the ground, two ancient coffins were accidentally excavated.
At the beginning of August, Lin Guo, the leader of the Fuzhou Archaeological Team, first received a phone call from the Fuzhou Museum, asking him to hurry to the scene, and the sharp claws of the excavator had damaged the skin of the coffin.
After Lin Guo listened, he couldn't help but be anxious. If you come a step later, the national cultural relics may suffer huge losses. After opening the coffin, the scene in front of him made all the archaeologists present take a breath: the body of the owner of the tomb was intact!
The excavation of two ancient corpses in the same place soon caused a huge sensation in the archaeological community. According to experts, the time of death of this ancient corpse was 700 years ago in 1235 AD (that is, the second year of Duanping), that is, when the Southern Song Dynasty was about to fall.
01 Archaeologists rushed to the scene: the ancient corpse was intact
When Lin Guo arrived at the archaeological site, he found that one of the coffins had been cocked. Gently pry open it with a small piece of wood, and there is still some coffin liquid inside.
From previous archaeological experience, the liquid in the coffin mainly has several sources: first, the water outside the coffin penetrates into the coffin; second, the ancient people injected the coffin to protect the body; third, the liquid formed after the body itself decomposed.
Although he could not judge the cause of the formation of these coffins for the time being, Lin Guo noticed that there were some abnormalities in the coffins. When he looked again through the cracks in the coffin, he saw a creepy situation: part of the corpse's forehead floating on the water.
The sighting of the human body's forehead in a coffin filled with liquid is a major archaeological discovery. After the average person is buried in the ground for two or three years, the muscles have decayed clean, leaving only human bones.
Today, in this ancient tomb that dates back more than 700 years, a well-preserved forehead has surfaced, indicating that the human body and funerary items in the coffin are likely to be well preserved.
| experts are studying ancient corpses
Now, more than 30 years later, Lin Guo's memory of the archaeological site is still fresh: "A little milk is added to the water, and the color has not yet dissolved, which was the case at that time." Lin Guo leaned up and sniffed it, and the smell was very similar to the smell of gas welding and gas cutting acetylene.
Fearing that the body might be damaged in such a hot weather, the archaeological team ordered a Jiefang car to transport the coffin to a suitable parking place and remove it for further study.
Unexpectedly, the moment the car hoisted the coffin, the car actually cocked up. To know that this car can lift 4 tons of objects, how can it not be lifted, what exactly is in it?
Just as the coffin liquid slowly flowed out, everyone saw that as everyone expected, there was a good ancient corpse preserved in the coffin.
Pictured | male corpse
After more than 700 years of change, the body is still intact, the body is serene, the skin is moist, the muscles are elastic, and even the blood vessels are faintly visible, as if they have just fallen asleep. The face looks terrible because some of it is not soaked in water and the skin is darker.
The most excavated and naturally best preserved region in the world is the Mainland's Xinjiang region, the most widely known of which is the ancient tomb group discovered in Lop Nur in May 2005.
Among them, a female dry corpse found here has a beautiful eyelashes on its face and a mysterious smile. The many ancient corpses unearthed here have become valuable materials for the study of anthropology, ethnology, archaeology and medicine.
The reason why there are many ancient corpses unearthed in Xinjiang is because the climate here is dry, the rainfall is scarce, and the special natural environment provides a good external environment for the preservation of corpses.
Pictured| the princess of the small river excavated from the tomb of Xiaohe in Xinjiang
However, Fuzhou City, located on the eastern coast of Fujian Province, has an oceanic subtropical monsoon climate between 25° and 26° north latitude, and is warm and humid throughout the year. The ancient corpse unearthed in Fuzhou is a wet corpse, and its preservation is more difficult than that of dry corpses. It is unbelievable that the body has been kept intact in such an environment for more than 700 years.
This phenomenon is very similar to the Mawangdui archaeology. In 1972, an ancient tomb on the eastern outskirts of Changsha city was born, making Mawangdui a name that shocked the world. A large number of national treasure-level cultural relics such as silk fabrics have been unearthed in Mawangdui, and Xin Chai, the owner of Tomb No. 1, is a treasure among treasures.
Prior to this, the ancient corpses that had been preserved for more than a thousand years were dried corpses that were mummified and processed in advance. And Mrs. Xin Chai set a world record, is a wet corpse that has been preserved for more than 2,000 years without decay, her form is complete, her skin remains elastic, and some joints can be bent, which is a miracle in human history.
This ancient corpse is the earliest and well-preserved wet corpse found in China after 1972. The workers of the archaeological team in Fuzhou City also had the privilege of witnessing a complete and precious excavation and research process of ancient corpses.
Pictured| Lady Xin Chai in the tomb of MaWangdui
Nature's life follows the normal law of life and death, but on the corpse that has no life characteristics, why does the process of natural decay stagnate, and who is this person?
In order to further understand the preservation status of the ancient corpse, the archaeological team decided to conduct a close medical examination of the corpse. In order to explore the mystery of ancient corpses, Qian Zhengsong, director of the Research Department of Fujian Medical University, summoned experts in anatomy, surgery, parasitology and other fields to conduct research. Just as the layers of clothes of the ancient corpses were faded, everyone saw some white substance.
As the work progressed, experts found that the white material was not only present on both sides of the buttocks, but also that the part where the white substance was present had been severely decayed. After testing these white substances, it was found that this was just fat flowing out of the body.
Through X-ray observation, the internal organs of this ancient corpse are extremely well preserved, and they do not look like people 700 years ago. Just after shooting the last X-ray, experts found that there were some small grain-sized highlights in the lower part of his lower abdomen.
Based on the location determined by the X-ray, medical experts began to perform anatomical observation of the male corpse. Just as they opened their abdominal cavity, they finally saw those shiny particles in the photo. Experts have identified these metal particles as mercury.
Figure | mercury particles
You know, taking mercury can directly cause death, and is this the cause of the death of this man more than 700 years ago? In the following anatomy, mercury was found not only in the stomach, but also in the intestines and abdominal cavity of the lower abdomen. If the cause of death of the corpse was mercury poisoning, it is impossible to have so much mercury left in the body.
It suddenly occurred to people: Could the existence of mercury be related to the way corpses are preserved? The Khitans, who lived in the same era as the owner of the tomb, poured mercury into the corpse after death to keep it from decaying for many years. This custom was very popular in Ningxia and Gansu, and by the Ming Dynasty, mercury was used as embalming of corpses and had been widely used.
02 Archaeologists found another female corpse, accompanied by a large number of burials
Just as archaeologists were settling on the idea, new discoveries on the archaeological site overturned the original conjecture. In the same tomb as the male corpse, archaeologists found another smaller coffin, which most likely had a lifelike ancient.
Figure | X-rays of the abdominal cavity of a male corpse, and medical staff found an unknown substance
After the archaeologists opened the coffin, they found that the entire coffin was filled with liquid, and there were some silk fabrics floating on it, and after draining the water, another well-preserved female corpse appeared in front of the people.
When the funeral items were cleared out of the coffin, it was found that this was a short woman with a very complete appearance, dark hair, fair skin, elasticity, and preliminary speculation that the age of death was about 30 years old.
A full-body fluoroscopic examination of the body by a medical professor found that there was no trauma on the outside of the body and no mercury previously found in the man's body, which also overturned many people's conjecture that mercury preserved the body.
Surprisingly, the two ancient corpses in the Song Tomb in Tea Garden Mountain are not decayed, accompanied by a large number of well-preserved cultural relics, of which more than 400 Song Dynasty silk fabrics have been excavated, and one of the silk fabrics is made of real gold.
Picture | photo of the female corpse
It is well known that gold and gold leaf were the patents of ancient emperors. In this coffin, the hostess was seen wearing such a valuable dress, and experts speculated that their identity should be either rich or expensive.
After handing over the coffin liquid collected at the scene to Fujian Medical University for testing, the archaeological team placed all the funerary items and clothes on the ancient corpse in the Minwang Ancestral Hall in Fujian for a thorough investigation. According to historical experience, the fabrics and clothes on their bodies may be the mystery of antiseptics.
But the archaeological team did not directly take the clothes to the test, but used clean water to wash the clothes. Cleaning ancient silk has a great risk, in the past archaeologists for the protection of cultural relics, it is difficult to ensure that these silks in the cleaning process will not have accidents, often with a vacuum wrapped way and air isolation, and finally achieve the preservation effect.
Soon, archaeologists found a large number of sparkling things detaching from their clothes and sinking into the water during the cleaning process. Just as they were touching these flashing substances with their hands, hoping to pick them up and observe them, these things magically shattered.
Figure | crepe coat as thin as a cicada's wing was unearthed from the tomb
After careful observation, people found that these sparkling things turned out to be gold. If the washing continues, the cultural value of these clothes is likely to suffer a huge loss. Just when people were helpless, they had to deal with their clothes urgently.
On the female corpse, a pair of printed pants worn by the female corpse were found, with a light pattern printed on the cloth surface, surrounded by jacquard flowers, and there were spots of about one centimeter on it. After cleaning, experts found that the color of these dots was distinguished from other patterns. After washing, the color of the dot gradually fades, revealing a faint red blood stain.
According to Chinese funeral customs, when a person is required to clean the body of the deceased and change into clean clothes after death, how can it be possible to leave blood-stained intimate clothing on the deceased' body?
Studies have found that due to the large number of decay bacteria in the intestines of corpses, corpse decay usually begins with the abdomen, and the earliest sign is abdominal swelling.
Figure | experts study day and night
This is due to the spoilage gas produced by the spoilage bacteria, causing intestinal flatulence. At this time, after death, the sphincter of the anus becomes relaxed, and when the pressure in the abdominal cavity reaches a certain level, the contents of the corpse are squeezed outwards, and eventually excreted through the lower organs of the human body.
Therefore, the red mark on the female corpse in Fuzhou Tea Garden Mountain is likely to be due to excessive abdominal pressure caused by internal decay, and eventually the hemoglobin in the body is mixed with body fluids and excreted through the lower organs of the human body. Because they were all red liquids, archaeologists mistook the red marks on their pants for blood.
03 Uncover the reasons why the body is not decomposed
At this point, the archaeological team had found a clear idea that since the decay caused by the inside failed to cause the whole body to decay, the force that prevented the spread of decay should exist externally. So, what is this external force?
In order to find out the truth, the experts decided to do a more thorough medical study of the two ancient corpses. From the X-ray photos, the experts were surprised to find that the man's spine was dislocated. Experts are so surprised because a spinal rupture is a fatal injury. If confirmed, it would also overturn the conjecture that he died of mercury.
Photo of the ancient corpse |
After careful observation, experts speculate that the male corpse is likely to have died after being broken by the spine, and it is likely to die painfully in a short period of time.
But soon, the results of the coffin test came out: the liquid was not pure water, it contained heavy metals, and this heavy metal was mercury that experts speculated.
Due to the relatively large content of mercury, almost a third of the body, the crane failed to correctly estimate the focus of the coffin, resulting in the car cocking during the lifting.
Following these clues, experts have guessed that the male corpse died at the last moment: first, he died from a fatal blow from behind, dying in a short period of time, after which mercury was poured in from his mouth, and mercury entered the stomach and abdomen along the esophagus.
The | archaeological excavation site
When he was buried, he also put a large amount of mercury next to him, and then sealed the coffin and buried it in the ground, which is also the secret that this male corpse can keep for 700 years.
But what makes experts wonder is that the hostess's body and coffin unearthed in the same grave do not have mercury and embalming measures, so how did she keep the body incorruptible?
Lin Guo is one of the experienced underwater archaeologists in China, based on years of experience, he clearly knows that the most critical factor in the hundreds of years of decay of underwater ships is not water, but a large amount of sea mud isolates the free oxygen and microorganisms in wooden boats and seawater, creating an anaerobic environment.
This environment isolates wooden boats from underwater corrosive bacteria, making these ancient artifacts very well preserved in the underwater sediment. So what caused the lack of oxygen in this female coffin?
The figure | experts studying the scene
Experts and scholars recall the coffin's first excavation: the top of the coffin was lifted out, and there was a lot of triad around the top, and underneath the triad there were broken stone strips, which were wrapped in rosin about ten centimeters thick, which only glued the stone strips and planks together. Inside the rosin is the tomb board, and inside the tomb plate is the coffin.
Triad soil, stone strips, rosin, similarities, planting materials, a total of five layers of artificially made things to wrap the tomb owner tightly, so that the inside of the coffin is tightly sealed, and the isolation from the outside air avoids the erosion of bacteria on the corpse.
At this time, some experts have asked whether just sealing can immediately eliminate bacteria to achieve antiseptic effect?
Zhu Bin recalled that when the coffin was opened, it was full of water, and only a tuan fan could be seen, the tuan fan was very special, well-made, 27.5 cm long, made of fan bones and fine bamboo wire, and the fan surface was a thin layer of paper material. At that time, half of the fan was soaked in water and half on top. The exposed other half has been oxidized.
Zhu Bin thought at the time that the lower part of the submerged part of the water might have decayed as much as the upper half. But surprisingly, the place he saw was the part of the place where the whole fan was most damaged underwater.
Figure | tuan fan in the tomb
After more than 700 years, the paper fan is still intact and has no signs of decay at all. The hostess, like the lower part of the fan, is submerged in this water and remains incorruptible. To be sure, the coffin is the key to preserving the body.
Some people speculate. The coffin liquid is not an antiseptic liquid that is injected before the coffin is sealed. To be precise, it is formed by the water vapor in the burial chamber seeping into the coffin and condensing. Since more than 700 years have passed, it is entirely possible that those condensed water droplets will slowly accumulate and accumulate into more, and finally submerge the body.
Today, we do not fully know the origin of these liquids, but it is certain that after the two coffins were buried, the air inside the coffins was exhausted in a short period of time.
After that, the body was slowly submerged, and the rosin, stone strips, and triad of soil sealed the coffin tightly to isolate the air. The inside of the coffin has since become a vacuum, causing the body to stop decomposing and allowing the couple's bodies to be miraculously preserved.
| archaeologists rinsing silk fabrics
04 Through several fragments, the identity of the owner of the tomb is revealed
According to ancient customs, the body that died of death will not be accidentally preserved, and the study confirms that the host and the hostess died accidentally, so what is the reason for their accidental death? Since archaeologists did not find tombstones and epitaphs when they opened the tomb, they needed to find out for themselves.
At this time, people found a phenomenon that everyone ignored: the head in front of the general coffin should be cocked, and both sides should be tilted outward and bulged, but the coffin of the deceased was boxy, unlike the local coffin.
Based on this finding, archaeologists determined that the pair was not native. At that time, Fuzhou was an important commercial center in the Southern Song Dynasty, and judging from the fact that these two people were so richly buried, would they be rich merchants doing business in Fuzhou?
Archaeologists have noted that in addition to the epitaph, the information that may eventually preserve the identity of the owner of the tomb is likely to be in the funerary items in the coffin.
The experts found five pieces of lacquerware for the funeral and found objects, which were the cosmetic utensils used by the hostess before her death. The vessels had changed color as a result of being buried underground for many years, but an intact silk puff was found in a silver container. It can be proved that the hostess attached great importance to her appearance before she died.
Figure | a gold box of makeup depicted from the tomb
Then, Lin Guo suddenly remembered that there was something wrapped in silk around the waist of the male corpse. After collation, people found a golden jade belt, which shows that the owner of the tomb is not a rich merchant, most likely a high-ranking official of more than three pins.
Experts found that the ornament was made of wood. According to the convention, the identity information of the owner of the tomb should be recorded behind the jade belt, but there is nothing on it.
No information was found on the clothes, but experts accidentally found a silk fragment with the text of the door while cleaning up the rolls of silk in the funeral belongings of the owner.
夔門, also known as Qutang Pass. The mountain lingjiang river on both sides of the river is the gate of the Yangtze River from the Sichuan Basin into the Three Gorges. Here the river is only more than 100 meters wide, and the mighty river is tightly bound like a ravine, and the flow through it is often as much as 50,000 or 60,000 cubic meters per second. This dangerous place is thousands of miles away from Fuzhou, is the owner of the tomb related to this place?
Picture | fragment of fabric with the word "hammer door"
When the archaeologists spliced and washed the fragments collected, they found that it was actually a poem, to be precise, a pair of elegies written by a jinshi surnamed Wu for the male host:
Copper bamboo used to be a phoenix, and the wind and clouds were fun for him.
The military and the people are wise and virtuous, and the rewards and punishments are clear and the people are used well.
Honest and loyal to the surname of Liang Mowan, Kuan Ren bone and three armies.
The military and the people tearfully held the cup to send, no Fu Deng to eliminate the good handsome.
There is also a veil, which seems to have been made from the wife's point of view:
The gate of the gate is looking forward to the king day by day, and the people of Ezhu are thinking about it.
Rushing to the Yellow Pavilion early, Putian Linyu was always thoughtless.
The link shows that the owner's family eagerly awaits his return from Lomen every day. Experts concluded that the owner of the male coffin's tomb should have died in the Hubei area.
The picture | the text on the veil
The discovery surprised everyone, because the place of death of the tomb owner should be exactly 1200 kilometers away from Fuzhou, around the Yangtze River Gate. This is a breakthrough discovery. Why did a high-ranking official of the imperial court leave his home thousands of miles away from home and die at the Gate of Fuzhou?
The man died in the second year of the Southern Song Dynasty, that is, in 1235 AD, which was the beginning of a nightmare for the Southern Song Dynasty. In June 1235, the Mongol army decided to go south to destroy the Song Dynasty. The soldiers descended the Yangtze River in three ways.
However, the Southern Song army stationed in Sichuan was defeated in the face of the powerful Mongol army, and retreated all the way along the Yangtze River to The Gate. Here is the last barrier on the western front in the Song and Yuan Wars, and the strategic position is very important. At that time, the gate was an important battlefield, and the man of this coffin was a general who died on the battlefield.
Unfortunately, experts and archaeologists did not find out the general's name in the end. But from the materials that are available today, the identity of the male host has gradually become clear...
Picture | the coffin of the two people from the ancient tomb of the Southern Song Dynasty on display in the museum
The general was killed without any defenses. Although we do not know what he had in mind at the time of his death, one thing that people affirm is to let him go home. But it takes at least a month or two to get from Fuzhou to fuzhou, and no matter how strong a person is, it will begin to decay in a few days after death.
In order to allow the general to be brought to his lover with dignity and integrity, his body was disposed of, using mercury embalming methods. After a long journey of more than a thousand kilometers, the general finally returned to Fuzhou and returned to his wife. Regrettably, the days before and after the general's return to Fuzhou were also the time of his wife's death.
And the reason for the death of the general's wife, the closest conclusion to the truth at present may be natural death. As for why the reasons for the two people's deaths are so close, it may also become a secret forever.
In traditional Chinese culture, there is a numerology called "butterfly life", which means that after either husband and wife die, the other person will also die within seven years. And this legend of romanticism seems to be confirmed by this nameless couple.
Pictured | a gold belt in a male coffin
Whatever the reason, the couple was finally reunited, sealed in two coffins at the same time, then sealed layer by layer with rosin, triad, and stone strips, and finally buried under the fuzhou tea garden mountain.
After the two were buried in the ground, the air inside the coffins was rapidly approached, and the air outside could no longer penetrate the oxygen-deprived liquid and the thick sealing layer in these coffins. Thus, their appearance and body were forever frozen by time, and they were not seen again until seven hundred years later.