Research on Archeological Background of Ancient China (Research Paper Sample)

Research on Archeological Background of Ancient China
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Abstract
Two saddle-shaped hills constitute the Mawangdui Han mausoleum near Changsha, China. It is supposed to have the graves of three prominent figures from Changsha's old kingdom. According to legend, the three individuals buried at the Mawangdui Han mausoleum were the then-King of Changsha Li Cang, his bride, and a male being purported to be their son. Archaeologists discovered objects in the Mawangdui Han tombs that have contributed significantly to our understanding of ancient China's archaeological heritage, notably their culture and lifestyle. The purpose of this study is to have a better understanding of the archaeological history of ancient China's people in terms of their culture and behavior. This work uses images and information from a survey of scholarly literature on the Mawangdui Han tomb's investigation. The findings reveal that archaeologists have extensively exploited relics from the Mawangdui Han tomb in conducting various examinations, mostly anatomical studies, to ascertain the traditional Chinese culture. In summation, the Mawangdui Han mausoleum is critical for understanding the archaeological history of ancient China's people.
Research on Archeological Background of Ancient China Based on the Mawangdui Han Tombs
Introduction
The Mawangdui Han Tombs is an aristocratic tomb located in the eastern suburbs of Changsha, Hunan Province, and was founded in 1972. The three tombs dating back to 2100 years ago into the Western Han Dynasty contained the remains of king Marquis Dai, his son and wife, and their most prestigious possessions. The study of human remains is key in understanding the behavior and culture of the remains being studied. Human remains are classified into broad categories; soft tissues and hard tissues. It is very unlikely to find soft tissues remaining as they quickly decompose. They can only survive in very unlikely circumstances, such as wet or dry places. Hard tissues, commonly found in bones, provide a wide array of information to the archaeologists about the culture, diet, and demographic of the society where the remains come from. The study of the remains provides useful information about the past, which would be known little about. Study of the teeth of the remains, which is part of the hard tissues, will assist in understanding what kind of food the people in that culture fed in and the environment they were in. Archaeologists can determine where carbon 12 became carbon 13 through the consumption of terrestrial and marine plants by examining the stable carbon within bones (Bahn, 2012). C3 plants are those that convert carbon 12 to carbon 13. Tropical plants containing four carbon atoms, such as maize and sugar cane, are called C4 plants (Bahn, 2012). Nitrogen could also be used in this technique, with the nitrogen content 15 within bone collagen aiding in estimating the quantity of legume plants ingested. Archaeologists can also understand an individual's diet and nutrition by researching the remnants of teeth. By examining the state of the teeth, it is possible to acquire insight into the individual. Teeth wear can also provide insight into the person's lifestyle. Early in life, foragers face greater deterioration on their dentition than farmers, despite the fact that the delicate starchy meals they ingest promote germ development. Cavities and abscesses frequently formed due to this (Carr et al., 2003). Archaeologists can glean information about a population's demographics by examining a collection of remains discovered at a location. However, relationships must be considered, as human remains can only tell us about society, and occasionally huge assumptions must also be made. The study of the remains found in the Mawangdui Han tombs will be of great essence in understanding the culture and way of life of the people of the Western Han dynasty.
Literature Review
Shaw et al. (2020) assert that the Mawangdui medical manuscripts are interred at Changsha's Mawangdui burial grounds, and China has the world's oldest surviving anatomical atlas. The authors end by citing findings from dissection investigations of corpses. The research's drawback is that even the authors' expertise of the outcomes is restricted since they rely on secondary sources for their illustrations. Scientists have dissected human bodies to study human anatomy. European and other Western scientists have made greater use of inspecting corpses than scientists from other areas of the world. China is not one of the countries worldwide that has extensively employed dissection to research human body structure (Shaw et al., 2020). Asia's earliest state was India, which in the fifth century performed the planet's first cataract operation. Even though examining human bodies has showed significant and essential information about them it has its own limitations as there are legal procedures required to dissect corpses.
Textual scholars require a range of abilities, one being the ability to read and interpret medieval Chinese (Shaw et al., 2020). Due to the fact that the texts are already in the native Chinese, one must be able to absorb and comprehend. Furthermore, scientists must be capable of doing anatomical study. The capacity to conduct anatomical investigations helps the scientist to investigate the textual structures (Shaw et al., 2020). The study of Mawangdui medical texts enables the rediscovery of an ancient Chinese way of mapping and comprehending the human body, as well as the comprehension of ancient Chinese anatomy.
Three distinct tombs are located at the Mawangdui burial site (Shaw et al., 2020). The tombs include the remains of Lady Dai, Marquis Dai, and their son, and each burial was closed at a separate period. One of the graves' peculiarities is their abundance of artifacts (Shaw et al., 2020). From the graves, scientists have obtained food recipes deemed medicinal or healthful, as well as agreements on Materia medical, war, personal cultivation, and medicine. Additionally, the graves include three distinct anatomic texts that contain comparable content.
Shaw et al. (2020) conducted a study using content analysis. The researchers generate the study findings using secondary and primary data (Shaw et al., 2020). The scholars consult secondary sources such as books, journals, artifacts, and historical documents. The major data source is the researchers' examinations of human bodies (Shaw et al., 2020). The researchers were interested in gaining a better grasp of how acupuncture was used in ancient China. This is because several documents from Mawangdui Tomb include references to acupuncture. The examinations on the remains were performed to ascertain the similarities and differences between the bodies discovered in Mawangdui and those of recently deceased individuals.
Archaeologists study ancient people's bodies and artifacts to understand better how they lived. As a result, the article gives evidence that aids in comprehending the remains discovered at Mawangdui Han Tomb (Shaw et al., 2020). The Mawangdui Tomb is a heritage site that has fascinated millions of individuals, and revealing information about the remains unearthed in the tomb advances our knowledge of ancient people's life greatly. The researchers benefit from using primary and secondary data since they provide various and thorough conclusions (Shaw et al., 2020). It contributes to the connection between history and reality, boosting people's comprehension of historical events and ways of living. In terms of collecting further understanding about the Mawangdui Tomb, this essay becomes critical.
One more document, titled "Reappraisal of the Mawangdui Han Tomb Cadaver Thirty Years After Its Unearthing," implies that in 1972, a female from the Western Han Dynasty was unearthed, and a thorough examination of the concussions revealed the presence of biological elements at the anatomical level. This observation was also confirmed by histopathology and genetic analysis. Wang et al. (2019) report that the unearthed corpse was subsequently preserved in formalin and then sent to the Henan Museum. According to the authors, the researchers analyzed the preventative condition in order to safeguard the identity of the newly found unusual body.
Gross anatomical examination, historical microbiological, histological, and molecular analysis of tissue samples was performed on the deceased. The data reveal that the Cadaver retained its basic state and remained unaltered grossly anatomically. However, the skeletal system radiography and arterial contrast filling looked to be consistent with the previous reporting. The skin's light microscopic characteristics, as well as cartilage and skeletal muscles, remained discernible. The researchers determined some degree of macromolecule breakdown and bone decalcification in the bones based on their findings (Wang et al., 2019). They also proved that the reassessment resulted in more reliable scientific methods to safeguard the Cadaver better via an enhanced museum.
The important issue is that reappraising the remains from Mawangdui Han mausoleum has paved the way for the establishment of more strong scientific methodologies for ensuring the safety of deceased remains in restored museums. The researchers cited evidence from a 1972 instance in which a corpse was formalin-fixed and housed in a museum. Numerous tests were conducted to get the evidence.
The conclusion reached here appears to be persuasive since arguments have been shown with evidence. Due to the researchers' inability to personally see or perform these experiments, th...