FEMALE CADAVER IN THE HAN TOMB NO. 1 X-RAY DIFFRACTION STUDIES ON TWO KINDS OF FIBROUS PROTEIN

    January 1980 in “ 中国科学A辑(英文版) ”
    Ang J
    TLDR The protein structures in the hair and tendon were preserved, but their molecular arrangements changed.
    The study examined the molecular structures of native and false hairs, as well as the tendon, from a female cadaver buried approximately 2,100 years ago in the Han Tomb No. 1 at Mawangdui, China, using X-ray fiber diffraction. It was found that the conformations of α-keratin and collagen, along with the basic longitudinal period of these fibrous protein molecular chains, were preserved. However, the aggregations of fibrous molecules had altered. Additionally, the study explored the origin of cubic mercury sulfide found inside the cadaver's hair.
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