More than 2,000 years ago, a young woman was buried in the Turpan Basin of northwest China. She was laid to rest alongside leather boots, gold earrings, and finely crafted ornaments—objects that hint at wealth and status. But one detail stood out among the usual burial goods: her teeth were stained a deep, unnatural red.
A new study, led by researchers from Jilin University and Texas A&M University, has confirmed that the striking color was caused by cinnabar, a mercury sulfide mineral with a long history of ritual and medicinal use. The burial, discovered in the Shengjindian Cemetery and dated to between 202 BCE and 8 CE, is the first documented case of cinnabar-stained teeth in the archaeological record.
The discovery raises compelling questions about the significance of cinnabar in burial rites, personal adornment, and long-distance trade along the Silk Road.
“Cinnabar has been used in many ancient civilizations, but never before has it been found applied directly to the teeth of a buried individual,” explains lead researcher You Shu of Jilin University. “This case suggests a unique and intentional practice, the meaning of which is still unclear.”
