2,200-Year-Old Chinese Burial Uncovers Woman with Toxic Red-Stained Teeth

A burial website in northwestern China has revealed a lady’s stays with an uncommon characteristic—her tooth had been painted with cinnabar, a poisonous pink mineral composed of mercury and sulfur. The grave, dated between 2,200 and a couple of,050 years in the past, was present in Turpan City, Xinjiang, alongside a serious Silk Road commerce route. Archaeologists recognized the stays as belonging to the Gushi individuals, recognized for his or her equestrian tradition. The significance of cinnabar-stained tooth in historical societies has not been beforehand documented.

First Recorded Case of Cinnabar on Teeth

According to a study revealed in Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, that is the primary recognized occasion of cinnabar being utilized to human tooth. Qian Wang, professor of biomedical sciences at Texas A&M University College of Dentistry, told Live Science that no different historical burial worldwide has exhibited this follow. The evaluation of the pink pigment, performed by way of spectroscopy strategies, confirmed the presence of cinnabar combined with an animal protein, presumably egg yolk or egg white, to facilitate utility.

Possible Cultural and Ritualistic Significance

The objective behind the pink pigment stays unclear. Experts counsel connections to beauty practices, social standing, or shamanistic rituals. Other burials within the area have proven proof of facial work and tattoos, indicating the opportunity of broader physique adornment traditions. The Xinjiang area doesn’t have pure cinnabar deposits, implying that the substance was imported, presumably from West Asia, Europe, or different elements of China.

Health Risks of Cinnabar Exposure

Li Sun, professor of geology at Collin College, famous the potential well being dangers related to cinnabar use. Mercury publicity is linked to neurological injury, but no traces of mercury poisoning had been detected within the lady’s bones. The frequency and length of publicity stay unsure.