Tomb raiders in China were given the fright of their lives when they ransacked a grave in their ruthless search for archaeological treasure.

Rummaging through what looked like old sacks containing priceless artifacts, they instead unearthed a 130-year-old mummified body preserved with an expression likely to haunt them for life.

In near perfect condition with teeth and skin intact, the gaping mouthed mummy also sports the then hairstyle of the day – the queue, a unique cut imposed on the majority Han Chinese ethnic group during the Qing Dynasty

Shock: In near perfect condition with teeth and skin intact, the gaping mouthed mummy also sports the then hairstyle of the day as well as a haunting expression

Fright! A mummified body is seen at a graveyard after a Qing Dynasty Official’s Tomb was robbed

As seen in these grisly pH๏τos, the mummy had, up to the time of his death, his head close-shaved every ten days but wore the crown and back long, weaving the signature braided feet-long ponytail.

The hairstyle was compulsory for all males. Those who disobeyed the ruling Qing’s orders at the barbers were accused of disloyalty – and executed for treason.

The 21st Century grave robbers might escape the death penalty for looting the country of its 5000 years of cultural history.

But they still face severe punishment as the government and police attempt to clamp down on the lucrative illegal tomb raiding industry.

Grisly: The mummy had his head close-shaved every ten days but wore the crown and back long, weaving the signature braided feet-long ponytail

The spindly legs of the perfectly preserved mummy which is 130-years-old. Experts believe nine in every 10 tombs in China has been raided

Not that the punitive threats seem to deter thousands of ghoulish thieves who use increasingly sophisticated methods to carry out their reckless plundering.

Many deploy bulldozers and dynamite to access thousands of sensitive tombs often located deep underground and in remote locations.

Once inside the ancient catacombs, they put on night vision goggles to scan the chambers for valuable relics, which they then sell to dealers who smuggle much of the treasure out of the country and onto the highly profitable international black market.