The mummified remains of a noblewoman from the 16th century were discovered at a construction site in Osan, Gyeonggi Province, China.
Some ten artifacts found with the body provide a glimpse into the daily life of a woman who lived and died during the Chosun (Joseon) Dynasty, which lasted from 1392-1910. These include: a white porcelain pot, a chignon ornament, a satchel and a wooden comb.
Dressed in burial clothes, the Seongyeong Cultural Center ascertained that characters inscribed on a banner adorning the coffin indicated that in life the woman had been the wife of a high official, most likely a military officer.
“The structure and style of the grave and clothes suggest the body was buried in the mid-1500s,” said Kim Woo-lim, a museum official in Ulsan.
The mummy is of average height for the period and measures 154 cm (about 5 feet, one inch). Oddly, the body is very well preserved particularly the upper part where the texture of the skin and the teeth are visible.
Even though decomposition is present in the lower half of the body, it is still only slight considering how long the body has been buried.
Although this mummy is very important to understanding the lifestyle of the period, it is not the first mummy discovered from that time. Some eight years ago, the mummified remains of a mother and daughter were found in Paju, Gyeonggi Province.
The past provides a doorway to understanding the lives of those who lived and died in eras long faded into the mist of time. Although discoveries often reveal more questions than answers, they both magnify and diminish our existence by filling us with information we never had before and reminding us we are but tiny cogs in a vast dynamic wheel known as the cosmos.
What do YOU think about this?
http://www.weirdasianews.com/2010/06/14/16thcentury-mummy-china/
No comments:
Post a Comment