LADY DAI
Xin Zhui, the Diva Mummy
SCIENTIFIC METHODS USED TO STUDY HER REMAINS
Autopsy
An autopsy is a specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a dead corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present.
Pathologist Peng Longxiang, a junior scientist, conducted an autopsy on the body of Lady Dai.
X-ray
X-rays are a type of radiation. The most familiar use of x-rays is checking for broken bones.
X-rays reveal she had a fused disc in her spine, which would have caused severe back pain and clogged coronary arteries. She had gallstones and experts believe one of them may have caused her already weakened heart to stop
SCIENTIFIC DATING TECHNIQUES
Stratigraphic
The study of layers in the Earth (strata).
Typological
Classifying objects according to their characteristics compare significantly dating objects.
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Three age system
Three stages of technology development by humans (stone age, bronze age and iron age).
FORENSIC ANALYSIS OF THE BODY
When forensic scientists conducted an autopsy on Lady Dai, they discovered the body was in the same state as someone who had recently died.
The autopsy revealed that all her organs were still intact. Blood clots were found in her veins as evidence of a coronary heart attack, as well as other diseases. Lady Dai died of a heart attack at the age of 50, brought on by her luxurious lifestyle of the wealthy.
When studying her organs, 138 undigested melon seeds were found in her stomach and intestines. Melon seeds take approximately an hour to digest, so scientists were able to determine that she died shortly after eating.
WHAT CAN BE LEARNT ABOUT THE PAST FROM THE STUDY OF THE BODY
Her tomb was stuffed full of luxuries, including 100 silk garments, 182 pieces of lacquer ware, makeup and other toiletries. These artefacts depict Lady Dai’s extravagant lifestyle and teach us about how the wealthy Chinese lived in the time of the Han dynasty.
Lady Dai was also buried alongside an array of foods and fine cuisines stored in bamboo cases and pottery containers. This told us what Lady Dai ate during her lavish life and what lead to her cause of death. It also explains what people of higher class China ate during around 145 BCE and just how rich in fibre or fat the food really was, depicting the health of these people.