A well-preserved mummy identified as a government official from the Qing Dynasty (1644–1912)—China’s last imperial dynasty before the creation of the Republic of China—has been unearthed from a construction site in Xiangcheng City in central China’s Henan Province. Though the Chinese did not deliberately preserve their dead as the ancient Egyptians did, environmental conditions have naturally preserved many centuries- and even millennia-old bodies there in remarkable condition, often with clothing, footwear, hair, and even skin intact.
The Well-Dressed Dead
Recommended Articles
Digs & Discoveries March/April 2016
Tomb from a Lost Tribe
Digs & Discoveries July 1, 2011
Song Dynasty Tomb Discovered
Seemingly everyday, spectacular finds are made by archaeologists working across China. One of the most astonishing discoveries of the year is a well-preserved tomb uncovered in the city of Dengfeng in central China's Henan Province.
Features March 1, 2011
Reading the Yellow River
Preserved by centuries of flood-borne silt, a rural landscape offers a new look at the Han Dynasty
Features November/December 2024
The Many Faces of the Kingdom of Shu
Thousands of fantastical bronzes are beginning to reveal the secrets of a legendary Chinese dynasty
-
Features January/February 2014
Stone Towns of the Swahili Coast
Along 2,000 miles of the East African coast, the sophisticated trading centers of the medieval Swahili reveal their origins and influences
(Samir S. Patel) -
Letter from England January/February 2014
The Scientist's Garden
Excavations in an English garden reveal the evolution of the nation's culture across thousands of years
(Adam Stanford, Aerial-Cam) -
Artifacts January/February 2014
Limestone Eagle
(Matthew Helmer) -
Digs & Discoveries January/February 2014
French Revolution Forgeries?
(Courtesy Davide Pettener/Paolo Garagnani)