The culture of using jade for burial originated from the spiritual beliefs of ancient Chinese people. Archaeologists have excavated the tombs of many concubines from various dynasties and uncovered strange-shaped pieces of jade. Recent studies revealed that these jades were used to plug their orifices and the nine apertures of the deceased.
Why did ancient Chinese prefer jade for burial?
People in ancient times believed that jade, with its translucent glow, symbolized eternal prosperity and thus had the power to resist decay. Therefore, they often buried the deceased with jade to preserve their bodies intact for a long time without decomposition. Notably, during the Han Dynasty, the culture of using jade for the burial of the dead flourished significantly.
Ancient people believed jade was a symbol of purity. (Image: Baidu)
Beyond its miraculous properties, scholars of the Han era held an endless reverence for jade, viewing it as a symbol of purity. Confucian scholars compared jade to morality to highlight the nobility of this stone. In “Spring and Autumn Annals,” philosopher Dong Zhongshu asserted that jade symbolizes a gentleman who possesses purity without harboring evil, embodying good moral character. Early in the Han Dynasty, Jia Yi mentioned in “New Writings – The Theory of Morality” that the six forms of morality were present in jade: Dao (way), De (virtue), Xing (character), Shen (spirit), Ming (brightness), and Ming (fate).
Moreover, ancient people believed that each type of jade represented different fates based on its quality. Jade was not only a vessel for the soul but also a symbol of the social class of its owner. Thus, not only when alive, but even in death, they wished to be buried with jade.
Forms of burial with jade
The first form is “Jade covering the face.” Ancient people considered the face one of the most important parts of the body, representing an individual; hence, they created the practice of using jade to cover the face in burial. In 2011, after archaeologists excavated the tomb of Hai Hun Hou – the grandson of Emperor Wu of Han, they discovered not only a vast amount of pure gold buried with him but also many pieces of jade and luminous pearls covering his face.
Jade burial covering the face. (Image: Baidu)
The second form is “Jade clothing”. In ancient times, they used jade to craft garments, meaning many pieces of jade were combined to form a complete outfit. Completing this jade attire required not only significant time and effort but also a substantial amount of jade. The owner of this jade clothing was undoubtedly of an exceptional status.
Moreover, the jade clothing burial form is further divided into three types: Golden jade clothing, silver jade clothing, and silk jade clothing. The threads used to connect different jade pieces represented different social ranks.
Typically, only individuals of extremely high status, such as emperors and noble lords, could be buried in golden jade clothing (using gold threads to connect jade). Other nobles were only permitted to wear silver jade clothing (using silver threads to connect jade).
The third form is “Jade coffins.” In ancient times, jade was used to create coffins. According to archaeologists, after excavating three ancient tombs—one in Hebei Province and two in Jiangsu Province—they unearthed three jade coffins.
Notably, the coffin excavated from the Daiyun Mountain in Jiangsu Province is valued much higher than the “golden jade clothing.” It is known that this coffin belonged to Liu Fei, the Prince of Jiangdu, son of Emperor Jing of Han.
In addition to the above two forms, ancient people also buried with jade coffins. (Image: Baidu)
The fourth form is “Jade plugging.” During feudal times, the most common form involved holding jade, sucking on jade, and stuffing jade. Upon burial, the deceased would have jade stuffed into their nine apertures, such as the mouth, ears, nose, eyes, and anus.
Ancient people also used jade to plug the anus and nine apertures for the deceased. (Image: Baidu)
All openings through which gas could escape from the body were sealed with jade. Regarding stuffing jade into the apertures of feudal individuals, collector Ma Weidu has gathered many types of jade for the nine apertures. There is a legend that once a friend of his visited and mistook a jade piece for a precious gem, biting into it. After Ma Weidu revealed its origin and that it was placed in the anus of the deceased, his friend was left speechless and blushed.
The reason concubines used jade to plug the nine apertures and anus during burial
The primary reason was to preserve dignity.
During feudal times, society was divided into strict classes. Being born a commoner meant living in poverty throughout life. Many people even had to serve the rich as slaves, facing disdain and scorn. Upon death, even a proper burial was difficult to achieve, let alone a formal ceremony.
In contrast to commoners, nobles enjoyed significantly more privileges. Especially for concubines in the palace, their funerals were often conducted with the grandeur befitting royal family members. Not only was their funeral required to be solemn, but it also had to adhere to numerous rules, lasting many days.
Ancient people used jade to plug the anus to prevent bodily fluids from escaping.
We all know that after death, the human body undergoes certain changes. The first signs of decomposition begin to appear. Concubines often were not immediately buried after passing; they needed to be preserved for several days to carry out the royal rites. However, how could their bodies be preserved during such an extended organization period?
Thus, the royal family devised a method to minimize the effects of decomposition on the bodies of concubines. After extensive research, they discovered that the internal organs of the body generally decompose faster than the outer skin, leading to the phenomenon of bodily fluids escaping through the anus. Therefore, they used jade to plug the anus to prevent bodily fluids from leaking out. This method was intended to keep the bodies of concubines dry, avoid odors from bodily fluids that could attract insects, and protect the important ceremonies, thereby maintaining their dignity.
In addition to plugging the anus, during burial, the royal family also followed the rule of plugging the nine apertures, placing jade in other parts of the body.
Ancient people believed that jade pendants had the effect of resisting decay; they believed that if the deceased’s body remained intact, the soul would also be complete in the afterlife. They poured a large amount of mercury into the coffin. To prevent mercury from leaking in and damaging the body, concubines would have their body parts, such as eyes, nose, ears, mouth, and reproductive organs, sealed with jade. Additionally, during the feudal era, it was widely believed that even though a person had died, the vital energy within the body remained. By sealing the openings on the body, the vital energy would be preserved, and the body would endure eternally.
After research, scientists found that these corpses were all related to the practice of stuffing jade into the nine apertures. Many scientists remarked on the brilliance of ancient intellect when they devised effective methods for handling corpses despite the limitations of scientific knowledge at the time.
