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Ancient European Remains Discovered In Qinghai (China)
Xinhuanet/China View ^ | 7-6-2004

Posted on 07/06/2004 11:02:03 AM PDT by blam

Ancient European remains discovered in Qinghai

www.chinaview.cn 2004-07-06 15:32:53

XINING, July 6 (Xinhuanet) -- Archeologists confirmed that the human skeletons discovered this May in northwest China's Qinghai Province belonged to three Europeans who lived in China over 1,900 years ago.

"The physical characteristics of the bones showed it is a typical European race," said Wang Minghui, an expert with the archeological institute under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

The skeletons were spotted at Zhongchuan Town of the province's eastern most Minhe Hui and Tu Autonomous County.

Since 2002, archeologists have unearthed nine tombs of Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) at a construction site of a brickfield in the town, but it was not until this May that they felt the skeletons in two tombs "very special", said Ren Xiaoyan, deputy director if the provincial archeological institute, who added they invited Wang, who specializes in human bone identification, to take part in the study on the findings.

Qinghai is on the southern section of the world-known land trade corridor -- the Silk Road, linking China with Central and Western Asia and to the eastern shores of the Mediterranean begins in the country's northwest and runs 7,000 kilometers.

Serving as an important bridge for the economic and cultural exchanges between the East and the West, the area, which the Silk Road covered in China, used to see throngs of Indian, Persian, Arabic, Greek and Roman people.

Ren said the tomb shape, the burial articles and the way they were put in the tomb are all typical in Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), which proved the three westerners had lived here for a long time and were accustomed to local traditions and customs.

"Although so far, we have been not sure of the country the three Europeans came from and there might be a large number of such 'westerners' living here at the ancient time," said Ren.

Such European skeletons have only been revealed in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, a neighboring region which is to the northwest of Qinghai, so the discovery this time is of great importance for the study of the ancient society in Qinghai, said Wang. Enditem


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: afanasevo; ancient; archaeology; caucasianmummies; china; discovered; economic; european; ggg; godsgravesglyphs; helixmakemineadouble; history; homerhdubs; liquan; qinghai; remains; romanempire; romansinchina; taklamakan; tarimbasin; tocharian; tocharians; turass; uzbekistan; xinjiang
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Suprise.

"which proved the three westerners had lived here for a long time and were accustomed to local traditions and customs"

These people may have established these traditions and customs.

1 posted on 07/06/2004 11:02:03 AM PDT by blam
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To: blam

Uhhh, how do they know that the skeletons are westerners?


2 posted on 07/06/2004 11:05:24 AM PDT by AppyPappy (If You're Not A Part Of The Solution, There's Good Money To Be Made In Prolonging The Problem.)
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To: AppyPappy; FairOpinion; JimSEA; Fedora
GGG Ping.

These are probably some more of our Tocharian speaking people

The Curse Of The Red-Headed Mummy

3 posted on 07/06/2004 11:10:31 AM PDT by blam
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bttt


4 posted on 07/06/2004 11:12:34 AM PDT by Vigilantcitizen
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To: blam

As their arms were posed in the traditional "hands up" position, experts have concluded that these were most likely French fleeing from some unknown ancient enemy.


5 posted on 07/06/2004 11:13:27 AM PDT by catpuppy (John Kerry! When hair is all that matters. John Edwards! See? I Told You So!)
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To: AppyPappy

The three races differ in cranial/skeletal structure.


6 posted on 07/06/2004 11:16:04 AM PDT by skr (Tired of Tirkut Teddy and Najaf Nancy)
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To: AppyPappy
There are ethnic differences in skeletal structure.

This discovery makes sense.

If prehistoric Kennewick Man, discovered in Washington state, was Caucasian it stands to reason that there would be other Caucasian remains found in the Asian heartland.

7 posted on 07/06/2004 11:31:08 AM PDT by wideawake (God bless our brave soldiers and their Commander in Chief)
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To: wideawake
"If prehistoric Kennewick Man, discovered in Washington state, was Caucasian it stands to reason that there would be other Caucasian remains found in the Asian heartland."

Kennewick Man died in Washington State, 9,300 years ago. He was Ainu of which there are still 10-50K still living in Japan. They have many Caucasian features. You may find this link interesting.

The Samurai And The Ainu

Also, there are many Chinese poems lamenting the green eyes of the Han Emperors. And...their 'magic-men' were noted for having red hair.

8 posted on 07/06/2004 12:17:30 PM PDT by blam
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To: blam
China Publishes Research Results On Koguryo Kingdom Ruins
9 posted on 07/06/2004 12:21:56 PM PDT by blam
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To: blam
1900 years ago is not so long. Roman times. Trade goods floated back and forth across the deserts, mountains, and steppes, and the routes were well established. While most of the trade was presumably staged, at least a few adventurous individuals would have made the entire journey.

Have we found any graves of Asian travellers of the period in the West -- aside from remains of the warring steppes tribes, of course, who were rather spectacularly present?

10 posted on 07/06/2004 12:29:18 PM PDT by sphinx
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To: blam

11 posted on 07/06/2004 12:31:41 PM PDT by blam
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To: sphinx
"Have we found any graves of Asian travellers of the period in the West?

They weren't travellers, they were residents.

12 posted on 07/06/2004 12:34:26 PM PDT by blam
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To: blam
Agreed: the details of the burial suggest that the three European-type skeletons were probably long term residents if not necessarily natives. I wrote hastily; what I had in mind was a merchant colony, which could even have been of substantial size and duration. That doesn't rule out a stray "white tribe," but it's a plausible scenario. I am willing to be surprised by this part of the world.

Are there any records of Chinese travellers in Rome or elsewhere in the Mediterranean during ancient times? I would be surprised if there are not, but I don't know the field.

13 posted on 07/06/2004 1:34:56 PM PDT by sphinx
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To: blam

BTTT


14 posted on 07/06/2004 1:39:50 PM PDT by Fiddlstix (This Tagline for sale. (Presented by TagLines R US))
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To: blam

Maybe they moved there to open a restaurant?


15 posted on 07/06/2004 2:14:54 PM PDT by Flashman_at_the_charge (A proud member of the self-preservation society)
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To: blam
Blam,

I just read your kindly offered article of The Samurai and the Ainu. At the bottom of the article it say:

Comment. Fringe anthropology notes many "white" races in strange places; viz., the white Indians of Panama and the Mandans of the American West.

I live in Panama and there are NO white Indians here. The author is confused with the Kuna Yala Indians who live in the San Blas Islands (Atlantic coast). They have a high rate of albinos due to their closed society (interbreeding) and not due to being some kind of white race.

Again…there are no white Indians in Panama.

16 posted on 07/06/2004 2:29:17 PM PDT by GatĂșn(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)
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To: blam

Thanks!--cool.


17 posted on 07/06/2004 2:49:36 PM PDT by Fedora (Kerryman, Kerryman, does whatever a ketchup can/Spins a lie, any size, catches wives just like flies)
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To: sphinx; blam

"Are there any records of Chinese travellers in Rome or elsewhere in the Mediterranean during ancient times? I would be surprised if there are not, but I don't know the field."

Yes, it's known there was contact between the Han Dynasty and the Roman Empire. The Chinese exported silk to the Roman Empire.


18 posted on 07/06/2004 2:54:15 PM PDT by Fedora (Kerryman, Kerryman, does whatever a ketchup can/Spins a lie, any size, catches wives just like flies)
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To: GatĂșn(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)

The Mandans of America???? I am from Mandan ND where the Mandan tribe is from and the decendents are as stereotypical Native American/Indian in appearence as you would think possible. I understand that there was alot of inter-marriage among the three affiliated tribes (Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara) but not enough to make them "white".


19 posted on 07/06/2004 2:57:07 PM PDT by Docbarleypop (Navy Doc)
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To: sphinx
"That doesn't rule out a stray "white tribe," but it's a plausible scenario. I am willing to be surprised by this part of the world.

Be suprised. That whole Xinjiang Uygur Autonomus Region is covered with Caucasian skeletons and mummies that date to 2,000BC. The Chinese skeletons and mummies do not start to show up in that region until about 100BC. Here is a good book on the subject, it will be one on the best you've ever read.

The Tarim Mummies

"Are there any records of Chinese travellers in Rome or elsewhere in the Mediterranean during ancient times? I would be surprised if there are not, but I don't know the field."

I think the Han Dynasty sent an emissary to Rome in the early AD's.

20 posted on 07/06/2004 3:04:51 PM PDT by blam
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