The Great Debate
Caucasians or Asians?
The heritage and origin of the Chinese mummies will always be a mystery. Visual analysis clearly shows that the mummies are not from the East, but from the West. Many seem to rebuttal this 'outrageous' theory...What are Caucasians doing in China? How did they get there? Why did they go there? Although these questions may never be answered many historians, old and new, present convincing facts about the truth of the Chinese mummies. Written Source There were not many written sources about the East (Asia) before Marco Polo dared to travel to China or before the Silk Road connected the east to the west. Pliny the Elder was one of few who commented on a group of people settling in the Taklamakan Desert. Pliny the Elder was a Roman scholar and historian, living between 23-79AD; he recorded what may be the only evidence of Caucasians interacting with the East stating: "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 has been used to provide evidence in this "great debate" as its gives insight into a particular group settling in the Taklamakan Desert Modern Historians The Chinese mummies have intrigued many over time but only Professor Victor Mair of the University of Pennsylvania, along with his team, were able to study the mummies in great extent. Being one of the first westerners to witness the Chinese mummies he stated, "The Chinese said they were 3000 years old, yet the bodies looked as if they were buried yesterday." This began Victor's journey in uncovering the truth about the Chinese mummies; piecing together a puzzle, trying to decipher their mystery. Modern sciences and technologies aided in his quest, but to this date the truth about these mysterious mummies are unknown. Some historians, including Victor Mair, believe that these Caucasians that lived in ancient China were travelers and merchants. Victor Mair also stated the "ancient people were from ancient Europe but migrated to Asia" But what were Ancient Europeans doing in China? The great mystery of the Chinese mummies, discovered in the Tarim Basin of the Taklamakan Desert, modern-day Xinjiang China, will always be a mystery. But both forensic and ancient evidence have proven these mummies to be of European origin. |