Day 7: The Dead is Rising

Mummies were found in Xianjing, China in the Tarim Basin, in the beginning of the twentieth century. Since then more bodies have popped up throughout the area.

These bodies were preserved accidentally, due to the climate and the dry desert. Their hair and most of their clothes are still intact, providing archeologists with a rare glimpse into times that date as far back as 1800 B.C. The strange thing about these mummies is they don't look Chinese. They have hair ranging from blonde, to red, to brown, straight and curly, which isn't what is typical of Chinese hair. So where did they come from?

Researchers have begun dissecting them, which in turn has caused a lot of controversy. It is believed they could be ancient ancestors to today's Uighurs, or Uygur. The Uyghurs claim a body as theirs that has been named the Loulan Beauty. So far there have been similarities, but they are most likely Caucasoids. Besides where they come from, there is evidence of bronze, cotton, and the wheel. These mummies predate the time when any of those were supposedly created in China, but did these bodies bring these technologies to the Chinese?

In an article of the New York Times, it is said that phallic symbols have been found next to some of the female bodies, and is believed to be because infancy rates were low. The chances of a woman to have a baby and for it to grow old were slim, and these women were most likely revered, and buried with these symbols. The article also states that for the first time, these mummies will be on display outside of China at Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, California near the end of March.

National Geographic has a great video about these Tarim Mummies.



There is also a five part video series posted on YouTube that goes more in depth.

Above image courtesy of Heather Pringle