Workers open 700-year-old coffin, horrified to see person inside 'still alive'

In 2011, in Taizhou, Jiangsu, China, a group of workers were digging to prepare for the widening of a road. They were digging deep below the surface when they hit a very hard object. When it was exposed, they realized it was a large coffin. The workers immediately contacted a team of archaeologists from the Taizhou Museum.

Underneath the bed sheet, experts found the body of a woman. (Photo: Sohu)

After examining it, archaeologists determined that it was a triple coffin. When they opened one coffin, they saw layers of silk and linens lying on top, covered in a brown liquid. Underneath the bedsheets, experts found the remains of a woman.

What is remarkable is that this body is almost intact, including her body, hair, skin, clothes and jewelry. Even the woman's eyebrows and eyelashes are still intact.

Based on the clothing and jewelry, archaeologists determined that the coffin and the woman were from the Ming Dynasty, dating from 1368 to 1644.

The woman was dressed in traditional Ming Dynasty clothing and wore a green ring. From the high-end jewelry and silk coverings she wore, experts believe she was a member of the aristocracy.

What is special is that this body is almost intact. (Photo: Sohu)

The coffin also contained bones, ceramics, ancient texts and other relics. Experts do not know whether the brown liquid inside the coffin was used to preserve the body or whether it was simply groundwater that had seeped into the coffin.

According to archaeologists, the woman's body could have been preserved in a perfect environment to maintain its integrity. If the temperature and oxygen level in the water were just right, bacteria could not grow and the decomposition process could be slowed or stopped.

The discovery gives researchers insight into the customs, lifestyles and daily lives of people during the Ming Dynasty. It also opens up new questions about the conditions that allowed the bodies to be preserved for hundreds of years.

Quoc Thai (Source: Sohu)

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