During excavation works in China, construction workers were left astonished after uncovering a centuries-old coffin containing an almost perfectly preserved corpse. The body, dressed in fine fabrics, was discovered alongside the man’s favorite fan, providing a poignant glimpse into the past. This unexpected find has intrigued both the crew and historians alike, shedding light on burial customs and the lives of those who lived long ago.
The man, who was believed to be an ancestor of the Wang family, is estimated to have died some time during the Ming (1368 to 1644 AD) or Qing (1644 to 1912) dynasties.
Judging by the corpse’s attire, as well as the limestone and fine wood used to build his coffin, it’s believed he was a noble or at least came from a rich background, officials from China’s State Administration of Cultural Heritage said.
The man is estimated to have died some time during the Ming (1368 to 1644 AD) or Qing (1644 to 1912) dynasties
The builders were carrying out excavation works when they came across the man’s body
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They were stunned when they discovered the centuries-old coffin containing the corpse (
Despite spending what could have been hundreds of years in the ground, the body was surprisingly well-preserved, they added.
The corpse has since been carried out of the site and will be studied before it further decays out in the open.
The body was discovered during excavation works in Zhizhu Village, which is in Jiangnan Township in Anhua County in China’s central Hunan Province.
The corpse has since been carried out of the site and will be studied before it further decays out in the open (
Construction at the work site has since been halted and the cultural heritage administration may even ask the firm to suspend works indefinitely.
If that happens they would receive heft compensation by the government.
So far officials have not revealed whether they have discovered any of the man’s living descendants, despite being able to identity his family name as well as the precise location he was buried.
