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Research led by Jilin University and Texas A&M University has documented the first known case of cinnabar-stained teeth in antiquity. Analysis of a burial from approximately 2,200 years ago in the Shengjindian Cemetery, Turpan, China, revealed red pigment on a young woman's teeth. Testing confirmed the substance as cinnabar, a mercury sulfide mineral historically used in burial practices, shamanism, and early medicine. Findings suggest long-distance trade connections and significant cultural meaning behind the pigment's use.

Cinnabar has been used across multiple civilizations for thousands of years. It has been found in burial rituals, body painting, religious practices, and alchemy in the Near East, Europe, and Central and South America. In prehistoric China, cinnabar was utilized in tomb decorations, lacquerware, cosmetics, and traditional medicine. Previous cases of cinnabar-stained teeth have never been recorded in any other archaeological contexts.

In the study, "Red princess of the Silk Road: The first-and-only known case of cinnabar-stained teeth in antiquity from the Iron Age Western Regions (202 BCE to 8 CE)," in Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, researchers conducted a multidisciplinary analysis to determine the composition of the red pigment found on the teeth of a young female individual buried in the Shengjindian Cemetery.

Shengjindian Cemetery, located in the Turpan Basin of northwest China, contains 31 tombs. This site is associated with the Subeixi culture, with remains dating to between approximately 1000 BCE and 100 BCE.

Grave M11, where the cinnabar-stained teeth were found, contained four individuals, including a young adult woman (aged 20 to 25 years), designated as M11:B. Artifacts recovered from Grave M11 included wooden objects, ceramics, bone combs, leather knife sheaths, leather boots, gold earrings, and string ornaments.

Discoveries from other burials in the Shengjindian Cemetery, such as lacquer belt buckles, silk fabrics, imitation turquoise glass beads, and coal essence, suggest either direct or indirect cultural exchanges with the Central Plains and Mediterranean regions.

Raman spectroscopy confirmed the presence of cinnabar (mercury sulfide), while X-ray fluorescence analysis ruled out environmental contamination. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy identified proteinaceous compounds, indicating the use of an organic binder to affix the pigment to the teeth.

Analysis indicated that cinnabar was likely intentionally applied to the woman's teeth, rather than resulting from burial contamination. Shamanistic traditions in the region often incorporated red pigments in rituals, and cinnabar was historically associated with spiritual beliefs, including notions of protection and immortality. Other possible explanations based on the evidence suggest that cinnabar's use extended beyond funerary rituals and may have served cosmetic, medicinal, or religious functions.

Uncertainty remains regarding the source of the cinnabar. No natural cinnabar deposits exist in the Turpan Basin, so it would have required an imported source, likely through trade networks. Historical records and archaeological findings show that the Silk Road facilitated the exchange of minerals, and the closest known sources of cinnabar included central China, the Near East, and Europe.

With no parallel cases of cinnabar-stained teeth identified in the archaeological record, further research is needed to provide insight into the unique usage. Genetic analysis of the remains may clarify potential cultural affiliations and mobility patterns of individuals buried in Shengjindian Cemetery.

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