The Tarim mummies that were discovered a few years ago at the foothills of the Tian Shan Mountains in Xinjiang, China could be as old as 5000 years. Although there are quite a few archeological collections that are believed to be very old, this one has a mystery attached to it. Most believed that there weren’t any westerner in this part of the world. However, these Tarim mummies look European, are wearing European-looking clothes, and are Caucasian. Besides, the burial practices too are quite similar to the ones practiced in Europe.

Wang Binghua was the first among all to discover the first Tarim mummy near Tian Shan. Later, he found a few more in the surrounding region. Until now, there are above 100 mummies discovered from four different locations of China.

Here is another interesting fact about these mummies. Although the people who buried these bodies did not mummify it, the bodies are found to be in extraordinarily preserved state. As these bodies were found near the Taklamakan desert region, researchers believe that the hot weather prevented the body from decomposing.

The attire of the Tarim mummies too is strange. Many mummies wore a red-colored tunic with golden embroidery. Besides, the body was also wearing a golden burial mask, a ritual that was practiced in the west, more than the east. Some mummies also wore ‘witch hats’.

While explorers are continuously trying to find more evidence about the settlement of westerners in this part of the country, these Tarim mummies are proofs enough to make it clear. But if it’s true, the date of the arrival of the westerners that was earlier predicted by scientists by late by as much s 1,000 years.

Source: What is all.com