Some researchers at
Jilin
University have successfully simulated the original appearance
of two 1,000 year-old mummies using 3-D technology recently. It is
the first time for China to simulate the original appearance of the
ancient mummies using this technology.
The two mummies, a man and a woman, were unearthed in a tumulus
group in Turpan in northwest China's Xinjiang
Uygur Autonomous Region and were later collected by Lushun
Museum in northeast China's Jilin Province. The male mummy is about
45 years old with his beard, hair, eyelashes and eyebrows well
preserved. It is obvious that his beard has been well trimmed and
looks very tidy. Another mummy is a female adult with her accurate
age unknown. She is heavily built with a small nose, mouth and
teeth and slanting eyes.
According to Zhu Hong, vice president of the Literature School of
Jilin University and head of the Border Area Archeology Center, the
simulation was successfully carried out by two young researchers
with 3-D technology, filling a gap in the simulation of ancient
mummies in China. Many new and effective scientific methods have
been applied to the simulation, laying a solid foundation for
future research.
The center was entrusted by Lushun Museam to simulate the two
mummies from Xinjiang. The portraits of the mummies have been
decorated with popular clothing and hair ornaments of the Tang
Dynasty (AD 618-907) and look very real. The portraits indicate an
elegant and middle-aged man and a plump woman in a towering
wig.
Months ago, the center successfully made the skull portrait of a
woman's corpse found in Beijing in the Laoshan Han Tomb dating back
to Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 24). Researcher Lin Xuechuan
said that no researchers inside China have created 3-D animation of
a mummy yet. Though the center is experienced in storing skull
appearances, they had formidable difficulty in restoring that of
the mummy because some soft tissue was still attached to the skull
of the mummy, which made it hard to gauge in contrast to ordinary
skulls.
Professor Zhu Hong said that the toughest job in storing its
appearance was how to acquire accurate data for the skull. After
deliberate research and consultation, researchers found a way to
acquire relevant data by inserting a needle into the soft
issue.
A
standard needle was inserted into the skin allowing researchers to
test skin depth data by gauging a partially inserted needle into
the skin with a vernier caliper, and consequently gathering
accurate data on the skull. It took them four days to acquire
accurate data with a tolerance of 0.1 millimeter.
Lin Xuechuan and Wei Dong then began storing it in a computer. By
now, they have completed storing the 3-D appearance of the
skull.
After referring to relics and written materials unearthed together
with the corpse and some historic documents, they have added
clothes and hairstyle as adopted by middle class figures at that
time.
Astana-hala and Zhuogu tombs are public tombs for ancient Gaochang
urban and rural officials and inhabitants. These tombs that hold
senior officials as well as ordinary inhabitants have a history of
1,200 1,700 years.
(China.org.cn translated by Wang Qian and Alex, April 30, 2003)