Cinnabar Detected on Teeth of Ancient Woman

TURPAN CITY, CHINA—IFL Science reports that archaeologists were surprised when they noticed red pigment in the mouth of a woman buried in the Shengjindian cemetery in the Turpan Basin. The adult woman, who has been nicknamed the “Red Princess of the Silk Road,” was between the age of 20 and 25 when she died between 202 b.c. and a.d. 8. Molecular analysis indicated that the substance was cinnabar, which contains mercury sulfide and can potentially be toxic. Cinnabar was used by ancient cultures across the globe, but this is the first documented case of it ever being applied to someone’s teeth. Since it is such a unique circumstance, experts do not yet know exactly why the woman's teeth would have been painted in this fashion, but they note that the color red was associated with local shamanic traditions. “Since the case in this study is an isolated archaeological phenomenon, it is impossible to pinpoint its exact meaning," said the researchers. "However, it is reasonable to suggest that the use of cinnabar might have been for religious, decorative, or medical purposes." They also point out that there are no cinnabar mines in the region and that the mineral was likely transported from elsewhere in China, or even from Europe when Turpan was a major trading hub along the Silk Road. To read about a mixture of blood and cinnabar applied to an ancient gold mask recovered from a Sicán burial, go to "Around the World: Peru."