巫、医并存是南越国医疗史的重要特征，通过出土文物和传世文献，我们也能鲜明地感受到古代岭南的尚巫遗风。甚至在汉朝时，越巫被统治者采信而推广至全国，对汉王朝产生了一定影响。
Some historical records, along with cultural relics unearthed from the Nanyue King’s tomb in Guangzhou showed that Cantonese people might have already had some knowledge of epidemics in ancient times.
据《史记·封禅书》记载，汉武帝灭南越国后，越人勇之进言：“越人俗鬼，而其祠皆见鬼，数有效。”于是汉武帝下令越巫建祠，采用鸡卜。张守节《史记正义》云：“鸡卜，用鸡一、狗一，生，祝愿讫，即杀鸡狗煮熟，又祭，独取鸡两眼骨，上有孔裂，似人物形则吉，不足则凶。今岭南犹存此法也。”在《吕氏春秋》中，也有“荆人畏鬼而越人信祀”的记载。
During the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC), when epidemics were rampant, people resorted to witchcraft or offered sacrifices to deities hoping to ward off evil spirits. Yue people, who lived in the south of the Five Ridges, also known as Lingnan region, did the same thousands of years ago.
越人迷信以卜筮治病解灾，除了鸡卜以外，南越王墓还出土了漆算筹、漆骰、象牙算筹等占卜工具，在主棺室墓主头箱里，还发现了钻凿过的卜龟甲片。
卜龟甲片
古人常将“医卜”二字合在一起使用，在生产力比较落后的古代，人们认为疾病是某些超自然力量导致，于是他们试图借助祖先或鬼神的力量，治疗疾病。这种观念，在越文化中表现得尤为突出。
Ancestors in Lingnan region often sacrificed boiled chickens in a special religious ceremony to tell good or ill luck. They took out the eye bones of the chicken and looked at the holes and cracks on the bones. If the holes and cracks resembled a figure, something auspicious was assumed to happen. If not, something ominous might happen instead.
在清朝笔记中，对当时以巫术治疗疾病的民俗还有比较详细的描写：“巫始至，破一鸡卵，视其中黄白若何以知其病之轻重。轻则以酒馔禳之，重则画神像于堂，巫作姣好女子，吹牛角，鸣锣而舞，以花竿荷一鸡而歌。其舞曰赎魂之舞，曰破胎之舞。歌曰鸡歌，曰暖花歌。”意思是说，如果家里有人生病，巫师会打一个鸡蛋，通过鸡蛋蛋黄和蛋白的情况判断病情，轻症摆出宴席向鬼神祈祷，重病则由巫师扮成美貌女子，吹牛角，敲锣跳舞，用花竿担着一只鸡唱歌。
Such kind of fortunetelling was prevalent in Lingnan region, and was thought to help avoid illness by Yue people. Later in the Han Dynasty(202BC—220AD), the practice even was promoted throughout the country by emperors. Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty gave orders to build ancestral halls across the country to hold sacrificial activities, according to the famous account of historiographer Sima Qian in Records of the Grand Historian (《史记》).
羚羊角
自秦朝大军征服岭南，秦汉文化也随着文化交流与越文化渐趋融合。在南越王墓中，还保存了一些中草药的痕迹，比如西耳室出土的羚羊角，在古代就是一种中药。在很长一段时间里，岭南都是巫、医并存的。
In addition to chickens, many other tools and instruments, such as lacquered rods and ivory-made rods, were used to tell fortune as well. Some tortoise shells with inscriptions were found in the main coffin chamber of the Nanyue King in Guangzhou, and it is believed that they were used as instruments for augury.
此外，南越国还可能受到秦汉时期流行的神仙方术之说影响，南越王墓出土的五色药石，根据检测其成分为绿松石、赭石、紫水晶、雄黄、硫磺，很有可能是用来炼丹的材料。
五色药石
In olden times, people in southern China were extremely superstitious and believed that diseases were caused by some supernatural forces, so they tried to cure themselves by seeking help from their ancestors or spirits via mysterious means.
而银盒中盛放的物品，虽然现在已经碳化，但从外表推断，说不定就是炼成的小药丸。还有铜承盘高足杯，也很有可能是用来承接甘露，以服食丹药。
银盒以及里面盛放的物品
Later, the Qin Dynasty(221-206BC)united China and made Lingnan its territory, bringing to the region a more advanced civilization and better medical skills from central China. Some remains of Chinese herbal medicines were unearthed from the Nanyue King’s tomb, proving that traditional Chinese medical skills were widely used in Lingnan about 2,000 years ago, which might have helped prevent epidemics in a way.
铜承盘高足杯
南越王墓出土的大大小小各种容器中，装着黄牛、猪肉、鸡肉、鱼等各种肉类。当然这更多地体现了南越王身份的尊贵，毕竟在古代，可不是随便什么人都能吃上这么多肉。在采用健康的烹饪方式、饮食均衡的前提下，适度摄入肉类能够补充人体日常所需蛋白质。除了肉食，我们也要注意营养搭配，蔬菜、水果、豆制品都是必不可少的哦！
Emperors of Qin and Han dynasties were addicted to the pursuit of immortality. The thought was hinted at some cultural relics unearthed from the Nanyue King’s tomb. Take the medicinal stones in five colors as an example. In a chemical analysis, the stones were found to contain turquoise, ochre, amethyst, red orpiment and sulfur, which were likely to have been used as alchemy materials.
And the Jade Drinking Cup for Collecting Sweet Dew found in the tomb, was made of five materials: gold, silver, jade, bronze and wood. It’s believed that the king used it to collect dew, which he drank with the "magical" elixir of life.
在一面绘画铜镜上，描绘了这样的一幅画面：两个人正在击剑，不远处有几个人正在欣赏。击剑在西汉时期已是相当流行的竞技体育项目，《史记》中说东方朔十五学击剑，“勇若孟贲，捷若庆忌”，司马相如也是“少时好读书，学击剑”。拥有一身精妙的剑术，能为人生履历增添不少光彩。在贵族间，剑术也是必须掌握的一项技能。秦朝大将赵佗的后人，当然也不能落于人后。
A good diet may not be the best way to keep diseases away, but still a practical one. Nanyue kings might have had been aware of that. The tomb also housed a variety of containers of different sizes, filled with cattle, pork, chicken, fish and other meat.
南越王墓出土了青铜剑、铁剑等各种武备，虽然其中一部分可能是礼器，但也体现了南越国的尚武精神。不管南越王的剑法学得怎样，锻炼身体，肯定是有好处的嘛。
On a painted bronze mirror, there was a picture of two men practicing the sport of fencing, and a few people were watching nearby. Fencing was a popular sport among upper class during the Western Han Dynasty.
铁铠甲
We may not be able to tell whether the Nanyue King was good at fencing, but for sure, he had a martial spirit and might have exercised his body through fencing, as different kinds of swords were discovered in his tomb.
Source:西汉南越王博物馆
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