Earliest known steel acupuncture needles found in Haihun Marquis Tomb

Archaeologists have discovered ultra-fine steel needles measuring just 0.3 to 0.5 millimeters in diameter inside a jade tube found in the tomb of Liu He, the Marquis of Haihun. Dating back more than 2,000 years to the Western Han Dynasty, the needles were forged from crucible steel using decarburized wrought-iron techniques, demonstrating the advanced metallurgical skills of the time.

These are the earliest known physical examples of steel acupuncture needles that closely match modern clinical standards. Likely used for therapeutic acupuncture and buried with medicine spoons, the set offers rare material evidence of early Chinese medicinal techniques, marking a turning point from empirical healing to precise treatment.