Mawangdui

The site consists of two saddle-shaped hills and contained the tombs of three people from the Changsha Kingdom during the western Han dynasty (206 BC – 9 AD): the Chancellor Li Cang, his wife Xin Zhui, and a male believed to have been their son.

[1] The tombs also followed the burial practices dictated by Emperor Wen of Han, containing no jade or precious metals.

A complete cosmetic set, lacquered pieces and finely woven silk garments with paintings are almost perfectly preserved.

Her coffins were painted according to Chu customs and beliefs, with whirling clouds interwoven with mystical animals and dragons.

The corpse was bound tightly in layers of silk cloth and covered with a wonderfully painted T-shaped tapestry depicting the netherworld, earth and heavens with Chinese mythological characters as well as Xin Zhui.

There was also a silk painting showing a variety of exercises that researchers have called the forerunner of tai ji.

Held in particularly high regard are the lacquered wine-bowls and cosmetic boxes, showcasing the regional lacquerware industry's craftsmanship.

In heaven we can see Chinese deities such as Nuwa and Chang'e, as well as Daoist symbols such as cranes (representing immortality).

The maps display the Hunan, Guangdong and Guangxi region and depict the political boundary between the Han dynasty and Nanyue.

The tomb contained texts on astronomy, which accurately depicted the planetary orbits for Venus, Jupiter, Mercury, Mars and Saturn and described various comets.

The tomb also contained a rich collection of Huang-Lao Taoist texts, as well a copy of the Zhan Guo Ce.

The lacquered coffin of lady Xin Zhui (217–168 BC). Unearthed from Tomb No. 1 at Mawangdui, 2nd century BC
Manuscript on silk, 2nd century BC
Western Han (202 BC – 9 AD) era lacquerwares and lacquer tray unearthed from the 2nd-century-BC Han Tomb No.1 at Mawangdui
Crossbow from Mawangdui
Western Han painting on silk was found draped over the coffin in the grave of Lady Dai (c. 168 BC) at Mawangdui near Changsha in Hunan province.
An early Western-Han silk map found in Tomb 3 of Mawangdui, depicting the Kingdom of Changsha and Kingdom of Nanyue in southern China (note: the south direction is oriented at the top).