The Beauty of Loulan
The Beauty of Loulan is an ancient Chinese mummy discovered in 1980, near the town of Loulan- in the Taklamakan Desert, modern day Xinjiang, China- by accident during a documentary which was being produced about the Silk Road. Radiocarbon dating revealed that she was buried around 4000 years ago, being older than the Cherchen man. She was remarkably preserved under the hot desert sands of the Taklamakan desert as she was buried within an open coffin; which allowed for the hot, dry air from the desert to circulate freely ultimately preserving her body extremely well. When discovered, it was clear at an instant that she was Caucasian; she had plaited, long red hair and high cheekbones. Her discovery, along with the famous Cherchen man, caused historians and archaeologists to wonder the truth about ancient China and ponder the possibility of European and Asian interaction before the Silk Road was built across China.
Scientific analysis of the Beauty of Loulan revealed both facts about her death and also aided in uncovering the mystery of the Chinese mummies. Victor Mair, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania and Paolo Francalacci, a geneticist, obtained genetic samples of the Beauty of Loulan in 1993 and found that she was in fact European. An autopsy performed on her body revealed that all her inner-organs were intact and that she died around the age of 40 to 45 of lung cancer. Dry dust and soot were found in her lungs supporting this judgement.
Many hypothesize that the Beauty of Loulan and the people she lived with were travelling merchants who roamed across the Taklamakan desert to trade goods. Pliny the Elder, a Roman author, philosopher and historian described the ancient Europoid population that roamed the Taklamakan desert saying, “they exceeded the ordinary human height, had flaxen hair, and blue eyes, and made an uncouth sort of noise by way of talking”. This written source is vital in supporting the theory that the Beauty of Loulan came from Europe. Conclusions of the Beauty of Loulan all suggest that she was a part of an Indo-European trading group that traveled around the Tarim Basin, modern-day Xinjiang, China. These deductions are continuously debated in modern-times as many historians have disputing opinions. It is clear the Beauty of Loulan is a Caucasian and her discovery has shaped the modern world’s view on ancient China. |
Physical examination and analysis of the Beauty of Loulan supports the theory that Caucasians thrived in China before recorded history. Still preserved for thousands of years her long, plaited red hair suggests an Indo-European heritage. Other observations like her high cheekbones and high-bridged nose suggests a further connection to ancient Europe. Further analysis of the clothing found on the Beauty of Loulan suggests more about the society she lived in. Textile expert Elizabeth Wayland Barber examined the fabrics on the Beauty of Loulan, as well as Cherchen man, comparing the similarities of the design to Nordic/European cultures.
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