Archaeological exhibition on Emperor Wu's Xiaoling Mausoleum opens

On Nov 26, the Shaanxi History Museum opened an exhibition titled "Dialogues with Yuwen Yong: Scientific and Archaeological Achievements on the Xiaoling Mausoleum of Emperor Wu from the Northern Zhou Dynasty (557-581)".

This exhibition merges historical records with cutting-edge archaeological research to explore the mausoleum of Emperor Yuwen Yong, shedding light on various aspects of the emperor, such as ethnic origins, facial reconstruction, cause of death, and dietary habits.

One of the exhibition's standout features is an AI-powered interactive display of a reconstructed image of Emperor Yuwen Yong, allowing visitors to "speak" with the ancient emperor in a virtual dialogue.

The exhibition's design incorporates a "laboratory" concept, using lighting, colors, and spatial arrangements to immerse visitors in a dynamic sensory experience. In addition, the exhibition employs a cinematic narrative style to enhance its visual storytelling, creating suspense and further engaging visitors.

The exhibition also delves into the cause of Emperor Yuwen Yong's death, suggesting that chronic arsenic poisoning led to his early demise. Research indicates that the black spots found on his bones were caused by arsenic-induced skin lesions, resulting in bone marrow necrosis.

This exhibition highlights the successful integration of interdisciplinary methods in scientific archaeology and offers a new approach to enhancing the credibility of historical research, providing visitors with a richer understanding of ancient history.