On May 22, 1968, a team of Chinese soldiers was blasting rock near the top of Lingshan Mountain in Hebei province when they discovered the 2,000-year-old tomb of Liu Sheng, a king of the Western Han dynasty, and his wife, Dou Wan. They both died in the second century B.C.E.
The soldiers had been clearing space for the construction of an air-raid shelter as part of a series of national defense projects that China began during the Cultural Revolution.
The tombs were elaborate and resembled grand underground palaces. Since they were isolated, they had remained undisturbed and safe from looters. More than 10,000 cultural relics, including weapons, incense burners, and drinking vessels, were preserved in the tombs.
But the most exciting artifacts were two jade burial suits. These objects were described in classic Chinese literature; however, no one had ever seen them in real life before. Some people weren’t sure they even existed.
Clearly, the nobles of the Han dynasty (206 B.C. to A.D. 220) preferred to be buried in luxurious attire. The jade burial suits were certainly lavish enough.
They were made entirely of jade pieces stitched together with gold, silver, or copper threads. These suits symbolized high status and served as a type of armor to protect the deceased in the afterlife.
According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, “the ensemble of jades protected the body and the soul in their entirety, enabling the deceased to attain immortality.”
Ancient Chinese believed that jade could preserve the body. If jade is placed in all bodily orifices, the dead would be immortal.
Liu’s jade suit consisted of 2,498 jade pieces and 1,100 grams of gold thread, while his wife’s had 2,160 jade pieces and 700 grams of gold thread. It is estimated that Liu’s suit would’ve taken 10 years to create.
belizar – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
In addition to the suits, the two individuals were found with jade pieces covering their eyes. They also had plugs in their ears and other bodily orifices.
Researchers even uncovered a set of rules titled “The Book of Later Han.” It detailed how the suits were crafted and what types of thread should be used depending on a person’s social status.
For instance, an emperor’s suit used only gold thread, while the suits of lower-ranking elite figures were made with silk thread.
Jade has always been highly sought after in China. The green gemstone is mined from mountain streams and symbolizes qualities such as resilience and purity. Jade artifacts have been unearthed from many archaeological sites.
The practice of burying nobles in jade suits stopped in the 500s during the reign of Emperor Wen of Western Wei. The valuable suits were attracting looters, leading to the destruction of the mausoleums and even the bodies.
Since the discovery of Liu Sheng’s tomb, about 20 sets of jade burial suits from the Han dynasty have been found in provinces like Henan, Jiangsu, and Guangdong.
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