Ancient Face Mirrors Made of Bronze Are 2,000 Years Old

Over 80 exquisite bronze mirrors from the Chinese Han Dynasty have been unearthed after being buried for over 2,000 years.

Before modern mirrors were mass produced in the 19th century, some cultures used polished metal such as bronze and iron to show their reflection, often with inscriptions and ornate decorations on the back.

According to Weibo News, experts from the Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology discovered a cemetery in the village of Gaozhuang in the Chinese province of Shaanxi on 11th April.

Up to now, over 400 tombs have been cleared and experts found over 2,000 pottery and bronze objects including 80 exquisite bronze mirrors from the Han Dynasty, the second imperial dynasty of China between 202 BC and 220 AD.

Experts said the mirrors are well preserved and still effective after cleaning.

According to the archaeologists, the unearthed bronze mirrors are different in shape with the largest measuring over 20 centimetres and the smallest being 6 centimetres.

They were also decorated with nebula and leaf patterns and inscriptions.

According to researchers, the ancient city of Chang'an, present day Xi'an, was the capital of the Han Dynasty and the unearthed objects give an invaluable insight into life at the time.

Bronze mirrors were produced in China from Neolithic times until the Qing Dynasty when western glass mirrors were brought to China.

Bronze mirrors were usually circular with one side polished to provide a reflection and the reverse side had decorations. They also often had a knob in the centre so that they could be attached to clothing.

Bronze mirrors continued to remain popular in China up to the Song Dynasty, but then gradually lost popularity after the arrival of glass mirrors.