Scientific Methods that have been used to Study the Remains of Lady Dai After they found Lady Dai’s body in Changsha they reported it back to the officials immediately,what they found was only of China’s best archaeological discovery ever found in the world of the living. No one wanted to take the responsibility of examining the ancient corpse of their ancestor especial during that time of China when not much tools or equipment is readily availed to them. When the young generation scientist offered to exanimate the body, his name was Peng Longxiang the pathologist. The young man he was with his head filled with curiosity of this ancient body and how amazingly it was preserved. He and his team performed the autopsy on her body with the pressure of other senior scientist and powerful politician who watched over them. What Peng Longxiang and his team found in 1972 was nothing they have ever expected to found in a body of a two thousand year old mummy. They dissected the body like a modern corpse which had been dead for a couple of days. When the body was opened they found: -The Brain which was only has shrink half it’s size only but still fully attached. -Her skin was still soft and elastic. -Her hair was still there with a fake wig that she wore to the graves. -Her red type A blood was still in her veins -When the chest was opened they found her internal organs was still in placed and looking like a fresh dead body.
When the scientist x-ray her body they found there was 138 melon seed, which was left from her last meal. Those were found in her stomach and intestine. It seem like she was in a hurry that’s why she eat the melon along with the seeds. And sometime of her life she had injured her right arm as it was shown that it has been broken before.
Scientific Dating Method of Lady Dai Typology
Scientist used Typology to identify Lady Dai death era in China. When they opened the great tomb of Lady Dai there was over one thousand perfectly conditioned artifacts from pottery to clothing and human shaped dolls which was assumed to be servants. From the documentary of Lady Dai “The Diva Mummy” Charles Higham- archaeologist said “ Thirty basket of offering from fruits to her favorite animals such as skeletons of pigs, ducks, and swans. Some of her favorite recipes were found in her tomb”
Fluorine Testing Fluorine testing was also used due to Lady Dai having such a moist body therefore the testing was easily conducted. From the test they examine the water and when and what era was it from and some of the liquid was assumed to the elixir to enteral life.
Stratigraphy
Defined as archaeologist records the occupational sequences of a site, and given to each layer of the site and the objects deposited within it. Lady Dai’s tomb an massive pyramid dig in the grounds over twelve meter deep, then they wrapped her tightly in twenty layers of silk and placed in in no fewer then four coffins. After the coffin was placed then they place the coffins in another 5 layers of thick tight press wood boxes. Then they placed five tones of charcoal over the coffin and a moist layer of clay in the underground pyramid. Lastly to finish her burry they placed tones of dirt over the clay and filled up the pyramid, and once it was filled they pilled the dirt for another fifty meter high. This was allowed the scientist to measure the time of her death though the materials and dirt of her grave.
Forensic Analysis of the Body
Because the body was so preserved the facial figure of the body was still there at that time it was assume the Lady of Dai died around her age of fifty and over weight. When the body was cut open forensic and pathologist couldn’t believe what they saw was a body of a two thousand year old mummy for which it look like a corpse of a few day old body. Her organs and veins were well in intact and testing shows that she had a high chance of diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Where living the life of luxury there was also something else living inside her, tapeworms, whipworms and other parasites. Due to the lack of exercise and obesity fat blocked her coronary artery which was connected to her heart and cause fetal heart attack.
What we found out About the Past from Lady Dai
Though the discovery of Lady Dai or The Diva Mummy, scientist discovered over 1400 artifacts in her tomb and objects include clothing, recipes, books, musical instruments, crafted servants and many more. This is one of the biggest discoveries in China during that time in the 18 century. The largest collection of dinning wear was also found in her tomb all in good condition. Even till this day they can not identify what has preserved the body for 2000 years they has been countless hypothesis but none can be proven. That’s why Lady of Dai is still one of the great mysteries or archaeologists around the world and many to come. Therefore the preservation of internal life is possible but only with the right ingredients.