In 1973, archeologists discovered copies of early Chinese books, known as the Mawangdui Silk Texts, in a tomb dating from 168 BC.

Some of the earliest Han maps discovered were ink-penned silk maps found amongst the Mawangdui Silk Texts in a 2nd-century-BCE tomb.

The Mawangdui Silk Texts were buried in Tomb no.

In their 1982 book Cosmic Serpent ( page 155 ) Victor Clube and Bill Napier reproduce an ancient Chinese catalogue of cometary shapes from the Mawangdui Silk Texts, which includes a swastika-shaped comet, and suggest that some of the comet drawings were related to the breakup of the progenitor of Encke and the Taurid meteoroid stream.

In the Mawangdui Silk Texts version of the Tao Te Ching, this traditional " Three Treasures " chapter 67 is chapter 32, following the traditional last chapter ( 81, 31 ).

A totally different sequence was found in the Mawangdui Silk Texts.

The Divination by Astrological and Meteorological Phenomena (), also known as Book of Silk is an ancient astronomy silk manuscript compiled by Chinese astronomers of the Western Han Dynasty ( 202 BC – 9 AD ) and found in the Mawangdui tomb of China in 1973.

* Mawangdui Silk Texts

Professor Mair specializes in early written vernacular Chinese, and is responsible for translations of the Dao De Jing ( the Mawangdui Silk Texts version ), the Zhuangzi and The Art of War.

Both the Mawangdui and Guodian versions are generally consistent with the received texts, excepting differences in chapter sequence and graphic variants.

Because the medical " silk manuscripts " dating from around 200 BC that were excavated in the 1970s from the tomb of a Han-dynasty noble in Mawangdui are undoubtedly ancestors of the received Neijing, scholars like Nathan Sivin now argue that the Neijing was first compiled in the 1st century BC.

However, the twenty ivory game pieces and the eighteen-sided die in the Mawangdui set are not typically associated with Liubo boards in other tombs, and it is possible that they were not used for playing Liubo, but were equipment for a different game.

The two silk books are part of the Cultural Relics from the Mawangdui Tombs collection at the Hunan Provincial Museum.

Among the earliest literature are lists of prescriptions for specific ailments, exemplified by the manuscript " Recipes for 52 Ailments ", found in the Mawangdui tombs which were sealed in 168 BC.

A lacquer ed Chinese liubo board game set excavated from Tomb No. 3 of Mawangdui, Changsha, Hunan province, China, dated to the 2nd century BCE during the Western Han Dynasty.

Funeral Drape of Lady Dai, personal name ( married surname Li though in Chinese custom she may have used a maiden surname even after marriage ) Xinzhui ( 辛追 ), Marchioness of Dai, wife of the first Marquis of Dai, personal name Li Cang ( 利蒼 ) who was appointed chancellor of Changsha Kingdom by the Han Dynasty, Mawangdui tombs

Han Dynasty | Western Han painting on History of silk | silk was found draped over the coffin in the grave of Lady Dai ( c. 168 BC ) at Mawangdui near Changsha in Hunan province.

Some writings on cloth were excavated from the Han Dynasty tomb at Mawangdui near the city of Changsha in 1973 and edited and published in Beijing in 1976 as Zhanguo Zonghengjia Shu (, " Works from the School of Diplomacy During the Warring States Period )".

A silk painting from the Western Han excavated at the Mawangdui archaeological site also depicts a Sanzuwu perched on a tree.

A History of silk | silk banner from Mawangdui, Changsha, Hunan province.

An early Western-Han silk map found in tomb 3 of Mawangdui, depicting the Kingdom of Changsha and Kingdom of Nanyue in southern China ( note: the south direction is oriented at the top ).

Woven silk textile from tomb no 1. at Mawangdui in Changsha, Hunan province, China, from the Western Han Dynasty, 2nd century BC

Part of a silk manuscript from Mawangdui, 2nd century BC.

The earliest document showing this usage is a diagram among the silk manuscripts from Mawangdui tomb 3, sealed in 168 BC.

Such silk banners and hanging scroll paintings were found in the tombs at Mawangdui dating back to the Han Dynasty ( 206 BCE – 220 CE ).

A 1. 28-meter-long silk coat with a pair of long sleeves is one of the relics discovered in the Mawangdui Han Tomb, in China.

An early Han Dynasty | Western Han Dynasty ( 202 BC – 9 AD ) silk map found in tomb 3 of Mawangdui, depicting the Kingdom of Changsha and Kingdom of Nanyue in southern China ( note: the south direction is oriented at the top, north at the bottom ).

A silk embroidering with nine suns ( in the upper right ) from a Western Han Dynasty tomb at Mawangdui.

Another early text was the political strategy book of the Zhan Guo Ce, compiled between the 3rd and 1st centuries BCE, with partial amounts of the text found amongst the 2nd century BCE tomb site at Mawangdui.

Earlier literature included lists of prescriptions for specific ailments, exemplified by a manuscript Recipes for Fifty-Two Ailments, found in the Mawangdui tomb, which was sealed in 168 BC.

Earlier literature included lists of prescriptions for specific ailments, exemplified by a manuscript " Recipes for 52 Ailments ", found in the Mawangdui tomb, sealed in 168 BC.

Archaeologists have found preserved remains in many suits, including the best preserved mummy ever found: Xinzhui of Mawangdui, the wife of an official from the Han dynasty.

* 186 BC – Li Cang, Marquis of Dai, buried in one of the tombs at Mawangdui

* The first burial at the famous archaeological site of Mawangdui is made during the Western Han Dynasty of China.

* Li Cang, Marquis of Dai, buried in one of the tombs at Mawangdui

However, in 1973 a unique, complete set of Liubo equipment in a lacquer box was discovered in a 2nd century BCE tomb at Mawangdui ( believed to be that of the son of the Marquis of Dai ).

Ancient instruments with gourd wind chambers, varying numbers of pipes, with bamboo or metal reeds have been discovered in archaeological finds at the tomb of the Marquis Yi of Zeng ( c. 433 BC ) in present-day Hubei province, and the Han tombs at Mawangdui ( c. 2nd century BC ) in Hunan province.

Archeologists excavated many ( c. second century BCE ) boshanlu at Mawangdui, and some contained the remains of ashes.

3 at Mawangdui, dating from 168 BC, and lay hidden in Changsha, Hunan for over 2000 years.

Han Dynasty lacquerware unearthed at Mawangdui, 2nd century BCE

One such tomb at Mawangdui is a perfect example of a well-sealed tomb.

in Han Tomb No. 1 at Mawangdui in South Central China.

Tomb No. 1 at Mawangdui was sealed!