The Han dynasty emperor Liu He was deposed after just 27 days in office and demoted to a marquis. But the recent discovery of his tomb in Jiangxi province has given him a new lease of life. The latest find is his teeth.

The dental discovery has inspired the whole archaeological team, as it may provide insights into Liu’s mysterious death.

“We found the teeth of the tomb owner after unfolding the jade. The entire set of teeth has been preserved well, expect for some flaws on the front teeth. We hope to figure out Liu He’s health condition through analysis of the teeth,” said Xu Changqing, Director of Archaeological Research Inst., Jiangxi province.

Tomb of Haihunhou

The find was quite a surprise for archaeologists, as the soil environment was hardly favorable for skeleton preservation. Another important discovery was undigested food in the deceased’s stomach.

“We also found something in his stomach, the seeds of muskmelon. Based on this, we estimated that he died in summer,” said Xu.

The remains of the “Marquis of Haihun” were found in a 2,000-year-old coffin, which was taken for examination earlier this year. A seal inside the coffin bore the characters for Liu He, confirming his identity and adding to the weight of evidence already provided by another seal, along with inscriptions on gold coins and bamboo slips.

Haihunhou is the best-preserved tomb of its age found in China and a major archaeological landmark.