Master Archaeologist

Chapter 42 Open the coffin!
After cleaning up the funerary objects in the tomb, it is natural to come to the final step of cleaning and excavation.

Open the coffin!
In theory, in order to ensure that the items in the coffin are not damaged.

It is best to do such things as opening the coffin in a special constant temperature and humidity room.

The coffin cannot be opened directly in the open air.

Unless it was the kind of coffin that was destroyed on the spot.

For example, the excavator at the construction site shoveled out the coffin, so the coffin had to be opened on the spot and rescued.

However, tomb M-105 was obviously not damaged, and the coffin inside would naturally be transported to the Jingzhou Cultural Protection Office for opening.

Today's archeology has developed to a fairly advanced level.

The anthropological study of dead bodies is already an important part of archaeological research.

Although it is said that many thousand-year-old tombs have actually only part of the bone fragments left after they were unearthed.

Some even have only a few teeth left due to incomplete preservation, or they have even become powdery.

However, even so, most of the unearthed corpses will be sent for medical identification and scientific research.

It is mainly to analyze the gender, age, cause of death and other information of the tomb owner.

Don't underestimate these studies. There are many major archaeological discoveries made through the study of corpses.

For example, the fragrant melon seeds found in Mrs. Xin Zhui's body.

This not only allows modern people to understand the cantaloupe varieties in the Western Han Dynasty, but also allows them to glimpse the fruit food culture of the nobles in the Western Han Dynasty.

Not only that, many unearthed corpses have pathological research value. For example, through the study of corpses, we can know what diseases the tomb owner had during his life and the cause of death...

The most important thing is, if a corpse that does not rot for a thousand years can be found, like Mrs. Xin Zhui, then the research value will be too great!

It will definitely become an important model for studying Chinese humans 2000 years ago!

When the coffin of tomb No. M-105 was transported to a workshop with constant temperature and humidity in JZ City Cultural Protection Office.

Chen Han and Zhuang Yunpeng, wearing masks and gloves, walked into the workshop, ready to open the coffin.

Standing in front of the coffin, Lin Ya said excitedly, "It would be great if I could find a mummy that is not decomposed in 2000!"

"If a lifelike mummy appears, aren't you afraid?" Su Sa shuddered, and said with some horror: "Just thinking about it, I can't bear it anymore."

Su Sa is able to accept bones, and has even become accustomed to bones, but this does not mean that she can accept the so-called "non-rotten mummy".

If it is really dry, a dehydrated mummy would be fine, and it would be treated as a bone.

But like Mrs. Xin Zhui, when the body was unearthed, the muscle tissue was still soft, and the tissues and organs were still there. It can be called a lifelike "wet corpse", so her little heart can't stand it.

In any case, Su Sa is still a girl, and she is still a young girl, her ability to accept is not so strong.

But Lin Ya didn't care at all. The way she looked at the coffin board at this moment seemed to be looking at some rare treasure.

There was also an expression of excitement mixed with excitement on his face, and he kept muttering to himself: "It would be great if I could get a mummy!"

"No, it's better to be wet. Wet ones are more valuable for research. The organs and muscle tissues are all there!"

"Wow, I have been with my mentor for more than two years, and I haven't opened the coffin myself!"

The more she talked, the more excited she became, and her expression became more and more "perverted".

Chen Han and Su Sa, who were originally surrounded by the side, quietly moved back a few steps, away from Lin Ya.

Her current state is really scary.

"Squeak..."

The workshop was so quiet that one could hear a needle drop, when suddenly there was a piercing noise.

Coupled with Lin Ya's scary voice, everyone was taken aback.

"Shh-"

The five people turned their heads at the same time and looked at the place where the abnormal noise came from.

"call--"

"call--"

There were breaths of relief one after another.

It turned out that Kong Jianwen opened the door of the workshop and walked in.

"What's wrong with you guys?" Kong Jianwen, who was paying attention to him, patted his head with a confused expression.

"Cough cough." Chen Han coughed dryly, stepped forward to greet the instructor: "It's nothing, everyone is waiting for you."

In Chen Han's working group, except for Zhang Jianbo, all the members are PhD students.

How could the team let them open the coffin independently.

The coffin can only be opened with the presence of the instructor Kong Jianwen.

"It's all ready, right?" Kong Jianwen looked around suspiciously, and when he found that everything was normal, he nodded: "Then prepare to open the coffin."

"no problem!"

Everyone hurriedly started preparations for opening the coffin.

In fact, the preparation work is also very simple, that is, a few wooden sticks one meter long and seven or eight centimeters thick placed in the corner of the workshop were brought to the coffin.

This kind of coffin, which has been buried for more than 2000 years, looks normal despite its appearance, but in fact most of it is already very fragile and decayed.

It is definitely not possible to directly lift the coffin board like in Uncle Nine's movie.

If you want to open this kind of old coffin, you have to be gentle and gentle.

After a few thick wooden sticks were in place, Chen Han stood at the southeast corner of the coffin, ready to open the coffin.

Although the owner of tomb M-105 was said to be a small nobleman during his lifetime, it can be seen from the coffin that he was not too "expensive" during his lifetime.

Because his coffin has only one weight.

The outer and outer coffins are coffins and coffins.

According to the system of the Zhou Dynasty, there are four layers of coffins for the emperor, three layers for Shanggong, two layers for boys of Hou Bozi, one layer for doctors, and no weight for scholars.

But in fact, in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States period, almost no one really followed this system, and they all surpassed the system.

By the time of "Xunzi Rites", it has become the emperor's coffin with seven layers, the princes with five layers, the doctor with three layers, and the scholars again.

This system was still used in the Han Dynasty.

The coffin specifications in the Western Han Dynasty were generally five coffins and two coffins for the emperor, four coffins and one coffin for princes or three coffins and two coffins, two coffins and one coffin for doctors, and one coffin and one coffin for scholars.

For example, in the Mawangdui Han tomb, Mrs. Xing Zhui, as the wife of a Marquis Che, was buried in four coffins and one outer coffin.

The mausoleum of a Changsha king and his wife discovered on the west bank of the Xiangjiang River in Changsha has three coffins and two coffins.

This time, the owner of the tomb M-105 led by Chen Han and his colleagues only used one coffin and one outer coffin.

This shows that he was not a high-ranking nobleman during his lifetime, but a minor nobleman below the fifth rank (the ninth rank of the twentieth rank), belonging to the "scholar" class.

But the little nobles are also very good.

As the first coffin-opening experience for Chen Han and the others to practice their hands, this kind of one coffin and one coffin is just right.

Rubbing his hands together, Chen Han also felt a little bit excited. He picked up a wooden screwdriver, and carefully inserted it along the gap between the coffin board and the coffin body.

No matter how strong the wood is, it will still not be able to withstand the erosion of 2000 years.

The coffin nails that were used to seal the coffin have also lost their proper function.

Chen Han exerted a little force, and he lifted a corner of the coffin board.

"Quick, stick a stick!"

Zhuang Yunpeng quickly inserted a prepared wooden stick into the gap Chen Han pried open.

After repeating this process six times, three wooden sticks were inserted horizontally between the coffin board and the coffin body, acting as supports.

At this time, as long as everyone holds the wooden sticks on the left and right, work together to lift the coffin board!
This little nobleman of the Western Han Dynasty who had been buried underground for 2000 years will unveil his dusty veil!

(End of this chapter)