Archaeologists Discover 2,000-Year-Old Smoke Absorbing Lamps in Chinese Tomb

Archaeologists in China have made a unique discovery in a cemetery dating to the Western Han Dynasty (221 – 206 BC) – two bronze lamps that could ‘swallow’ smoke.  Historians are hailing the discovery as the world’s first known ‘eco-friendly’ lamps.

“The lamps are both the shape of a goose catching a fish in its mouth. The light is attached to the fish. Smoke emitted during the burning of wax can enter the bird's body via an intake on the fish, travel through its neck and be dissolved by water stored in its hollow belly”, Xin Lixiang, who leads the excavation team, told Xinhua news agency.

While the Han Dynasty saw the increased production of Chinese bronze lamps, these are the first known smoke-absorbing designs, and most likely they belonged to elite members of society.

Lixiang told Xinhua news agency that the brightness of the lamp could be adjusted via swinging shades, and the components could be dismantled for cleaning.

“It is both an artwork and an example of ancient innovation,” said Lixiang [via Xinhua].