‘Red Princess’: Mysterious Skeleton With Dyed Teeth Is a Scientific First

A young woman who lived and died more than 2,000 years ago left behind remains in China that are unlike any we’ve seen previously. On her teeth, archaeologists found traces of cinnabar, the brilliant red form of mercury sulfide. Because of the mercury content, this mineral is toxic; never before have human remains been found with teeth stained with the stuff. What’s even more interesting is that, although cinnabar and other red pigments are found often in burial contexts, and were used for shamanistic purposes, a team led by Sen You of Jilin University in China believes that, in this…