Beijing - Saba:
Archaeologists in China have discovered a rare tomb belonging to a woman who lived 2,200 years ago. Her teeth were covered in cinnabar, a toxic substance used as a pigment.
This is the first time in the world that cinnabar has been found on a woman's teeth.
Cinnabar is a mineral compound of mercury and sulfur, and has been used since the 9th millennium BC in religious rituals, art, and body painting.
Archaeologists discovered these unusual remains during excavations in a tomb in the city of Turpan in the Xinjiang region. The tomb is located on the Silk Road, which was an important trade route connecting Europe and Asia.
In one of the graves in the cemetery, the remains of four individuals, including a teenager, were found. However, only one adult skeleton in the burial had traces of red dye on its teeth. Anatomical analysis revealed that these remains belonged to a woman who died between the ages of 20 and 25.
Researchers scraped a sample of the red dye and studied it using three different spectroscopic methods, which allowed them to determine the chemical composition of the sample. The analysis revealed that the dye was cinnabar, which had been mixed with animal protein, possibly egg yolk or white, to enable it to be painted onto the woman's teeth.
Scientists have dubbed the woman the "Red Princess of the Silk Road" after the "Red Queen" of the Maya civilization in Mexico, whose body was covered in cinnabar.
The reason for her red teeth is unknown. It may be related to notions of beauty, social status, or shamanic practices.
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