Mawangdui is a horseshoe-shaped mound of earth about ten meters high and thirty meters in diameter situated at a place called Wulipai in the eastern suburbs of Changsha.
It contains three ancient tombs belonging to the family of Duke Dai from the early Western Han Dynasty.
The coffins and burial objects in the Number One and Number Three tombs were all in excellent condition when they were unearthed during 1972 and 1974.
The most fascinating archaeological find here was the well-preserved female mummy discovered in the 2,100-year-old Number One tomb. The tomb has also yielded a rich hoard - more than three thousand pieces in all - of cultural relics, including silk books, silk paintings, bamboo slips used for writing before paper was invented, lacquerware, and silk fabrics.
The Number Three Tomb has been restored to its original state for the benefit of visitors.
