2,000-year-old smoke-swallowing lamps discovered in a Chinese tomb
2,000-year-old smoke-swallowing lamps discovered in a Chinese tomb
Archaeologists in China have made a unique find in a tomb dating back to the Western Han Dynasty (221 – 206 BC) – two bronze lamps that could “swallow” smoke.
Historians hailed the discovery as the world's first known "eco-friendly" lamps.
The bulbs are shaped like a goose catching a fish in its mouth. The light is attached to the fish.
The smoke emitted while burning wax can enter the bird's body through sucking fish, travel through its neck and dissolve with water stored in its hollow stomach.
While the Han Dynasty saw an increase in the production of Chinese bronze lamps, these were the first known smoke-absorbing designs and most likely belonged to elite members of society.
The brightness of the lamp can be adjusted through the swinging shades, and the components can be disassembled for cleaning.
Ancient environmental lamps were discovered in the Haihunhou Cemetery near Nanchang in Jiangxi Province in 2011 and are hailed as the most complete Western Han Dynasty tomb ever discovered in China.
Source: websites