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Alkalescent Fluid Keeps 2,000-year-old Corpse Intact: Expert
The (China) Peoples Daily ^
| Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, July 19, 2002
| Editorial Staff
Posted on 07/20/2002 6:25:20 PM PDT by vannrox
![](http://english.people.com.cn/200207/19/images/corpse1.jpg)
Alkalescent Fluid Keeps 2,000-year-old Corpse Intact: Expert Alkalescent fluid seems to have kept a 2,000-year-old female corpse intact, though it is widely believed that bacteria grow and reproduce faster in an alkaline environment, say experts.
The well-preserved corpse, which is believed to date from the Western Han Dynasty (BC 206 - AD 24), was unearthed on July 8 at a construction site in Lianyungang, eastern Jiangsu Province.
Earlier reports said the corpse still had elastic muscle tissue after being immersed in a special fluid in her coffin.
The fluid had a PH scale of 7.55, said Bai Ling, a pathological expert at the No. 1 People's Hospital in Lianyungang City, after a preliminary study.
Xu Yongqing, a corpse preservation specialist based in Shanghai,found this was "surprising" because he and his colleagues have always believed only acidic fluid could preserve corpses by keeping bacteria from growing and reproducing inside the coffin.
Acidic fluid was found in a casket unearthed earlier at the famous Mawangdui Han Dynasty Tomb in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, said Xu.
Xu and his colleagues assumed the fluid had seeped into the casket over time, as it was not the Chinese custom to fill the coffin with preservative fluid prior to burial.
Experts are still analyzing the fluid, which was found to have a density of 1.01 and to contain hemoglobin.
A rectangular lacquered box, bamboo food container, comb, copper mirror, lock of hair with a hairpin, and a clearly-written list of burial articles were also found in the coffin.
|
People's Daily Online --- http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/ |
TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: alkalescent; bacteria; burial; china; corpse; discovery; female; fluid; history
Interesting.
1
posted on
07/20/2002 6:25:20 PM PDT
by
vannrox
To: vannrox
Art Bell will turn this lady into a visitor from outerspace... I can hear it now.
2
posted on
07/20/2002 6:29:54 PM PDT
by
A. Morgan
To: vannrox
Don't tell Bill, he'll be asking for a date.
3
posted on
07/20/2002 6:39:57 PM PDT
by
SuzanneC
To: vannrox
Alka-Wha.......?
4
posted on
07/20/2002 7:03:25 PM PDT
by
keithtoo
To: blam
Bump to Blam.
5
posted on
07/20/2002 7:06:38 PM PDT
by
LostTribe
To: vannrox
What else contains hemoglobin but blood???
But blood density to be 1.056 g/cc.
Again vannrox you never fail us. Another interesting post.
China seems to opening up it's archeological sites. This is going to be fun.
6
posted on
07/20/2002 7:16:19 PM PDT
by
lizma
To: vannrox
Lots of suprises in China.
7
posted on
07/20/2002 7:45:04 PM PDT
by
blam
To: vannrox
Alkalescent fluid seems to have kept a 2,000-year-old female corpse intact, though it is widely believed that bacteria grow and reproduce faster in an alkaline environment, say experts. So it turned out to be a base canard?
8
posted on
07/20/2002 7:58:37 PM PDT
by
JAWs
To: vannrox
Michael Jackson just "signed" a $500 million check.
Guess what for?
9
posted on
07/20/2002 8:53:34 PM PDT
by
Vidalia
To: vannrox
She is incredibly well preserved, but ill bet she stinks like hell.
10
posted on
07/20/2002 9:14:46 PM PDT
by
Husker24
To: SuzanneC
And Bill would suffer another rejection.
To: vannrox
Boy, when Ted William's family learns about this....
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