China discovered a 2,000-year-old copper vial containing strange liquid

According to Xinhua, recently in Henan province, central China, archaeologists found a 2,000-year-old copper vial containing more than 3 liters of strange liquid.

This copper jar has a curved neck, shaped like a swan discovered in an ancient tomb in the city of Tammen Hiep. In addition, in this ancient tomb there is a copper hat, a copper pot and swords made of iron and jade. The liquid in the vial was yellowish-brown with impurities, which had been sent to Beijing for further examination.

2,000-year-old copper vial of strange liquid. (Photo: Xinhua).

Preliminary estimates based on the shape of the tomb show that this tomb was built between the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC) and the Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD). This is most likely the tomb of a low-ranking official.

According to Zhou Xiaodong, deputy director of the Sanmenxia Institute of Archeology and Cultural Heritage, copper vases were unearthed as archaeologists reviewed the scene of the project to upgrade a local housing complex. This is the first sample of copper vials found in this city. According to experts, the shape of the copper jar shows that swans appeared in Tammen Hiep during the late Qin and early Han periods. Ancient craftsmen shaped the jar according to the animal they observed.

Since the 80s of last century, Sanmenxia has often welcomed swans from Siberia in the winter. Located between Xin'an and Luoyang, two ancient capitals in Chinese history, Tammen Hiep was once a place of significant transport and military significance. Therefore, this city is very rich with historical sites.