At home in her tomb Lady Dai and the ancient Chinese treasures of Mawangdui

In the peaceful stillness of the museum, I looked down through a window into a room below my feet. There lay a woman, face-up, draped in white silk. She appeared to be sleeping. But this woman had been "sleeping" for more than two thousand years. I had seen mummies before, but those were dry, skin-covered skeletons--not like this soft-fleshed body. I could not stop staring at her, Lady Dai from the Mawangdui tombs. Excerpted from At Home in Her Tomb: Lady Dai and the Ancient Chinese Treasures of Mawangdui by Christine Liu-Perkins All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.