Xin Zhui

Xin Zhui
Marquise of Dai
Artistic reconstruction of Xin Zhui.
Dynasty	Han dynasty
Husband	Li Cang (利蒼), Marquis of Dai
Born	ca. 213 BC
Died	163 BC (aged 50)
Buried	Mawangdui, Changsha, Hunan Province, China

Xin Zhui (Chinese: 辛追; pinyin: Xīn Zhuī; died 163 BC), also known as Lady Dai or Marquise of Dai, was the wife of Li Cang (利蒼), the Marquis of Dai, during the Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD). She gained fame more than 2,000 years after her death, when her tomb was discovered inside a hill known as Mawangdui, in Changsha, Hunan, China. After opening the tomb, workers discovered her exceptionally preserved remains alongside hundreds of valuable artifacts and documents. Her body and belongings are currently under the care of the Hunan Provincial Museum, which has allowed occasional international exhibits.

Xin Zhui lived an extravagant lifestyle. She enjoyed having her own musicians for entertainment, whom she had play for parties as well as personal amusement. She may have enjoyed playing music as well, particularly the qin, which was traditionally associated with refinement and intellect. As a noble, Xin Zhui also had access to a variety of imperial foods, including various types of meat, which were reserved for the royal family and members of the ruling class. Much of her clothing was made of silk and other valuable textiles, and she owned a variety of cosmetics.

As age caught up with her, Xin Zhui suffered from a number of ailments that would eventually lead to her death. Alongside a number of internal parasites, she also had coronary thrombosis and arteriosclerosis, most likely linked to excessive weight gained due to a sedentary lifestyle. A fused spinal disc probably caused her immense pain, which contributed to a decrease in physical activity. She also suffered from gallstones, one of which lodged in her bile duct and further deteriorated her condition.

After outliving her husband and, potentially, her son, Xin Zhui died around 50 years of age in 163 BCE. Her cause of death was a heart attack, brought about by years of poor health. She was buried in an immense tomb at Mawangdui in Changsha, with more than 1,000 items ranging from drink and food vessels, to silk clothing and tapestries, to figurines of musicians and mourners.

In 1971, workers digging an air raid shelter for a hospital near Changsha unearthed the tomb of Xin Zhui, as well as the tombs of her husband and a young man who is most commonly thought to be their son. With the assistance of over 1,500 local high school students, archaeologists began a large excavation of the site beginning in January 1972. Xin Zhui's body was found within four rectangular pine constructs that sat inside one another which were buried beneath layers of charcoal and white clay. The corpse was wrapped in twenty layers of clothing bound with silk ribbons.