Archeologists have excavated a well-preserved man corpse of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) in an ancient tomb on the outskirts of Nanjing, the capital of east China's Jiangsu Province.

　　The corpse dating back 500 years turned dark brown when it was found in a construction site. There is hair on the head of the corpse and beard on the face. The body has elasticity and his joints even can bend.

　　Judging by the burial forms, four ancient tombs found in the construction site are tombs of the Ming Dynasty.

　　When archeologists opened the outer tomb, a red coffin facing the south was revealed with a fragrance coming from the coffin.

　　The corpse is 1.7 meter long and a bit overweight. Archeologists estimated that the occupant of the tomb died at the age of about 60 and his toes and fingers are well preserved.

　　Thanks to the sealing technique and the placing of traditional Chinese medicines around the corpse, the corpse can weather 500 years without becoming rotten.

　　Archeologists and medical experts will anatomize the corpse.

　　(Xinhua 03/29/2001)