Bimillennial seeds sprout in Hebei_科技Science

chinanews, shijiazhuang, sept. 18 – recently an ancient grave built in the eastern han dynasty (25-220) was discovered in hejian, hebei province. archeologists also excavated a painted pottery dressing case packed with grain seeds in the tomb. five days later, these seeds sprouted, which surprised many local people.

 

many buds can be seen on the surface of the dressing case, and some seed crusts can also be found beside these buds.

 

tian guofu, head of hejian cultural bureau, said this dressing case was discovered sept. 4, 2006. the archeologists wrapped up it with plastic bag immediately and put it in a warehouse. on sept. 9, experts found there had been green leafs on the pottery, and they believed it was a miracle.

 

according to the archeologists, the tomb had never been robbed in the past, and no rainwater had been seeped into the tomb. moreover, the pottery was sealed as soon as it was found, so no seeds from outside might have found their way into the case.

 

tian said that the most valuable relic was the dressing case, so he didn't clear out the seeds in it to keep it intact. experts believe these seeds have a history of more than 2,000 years.