Posted on 11/22/2010 4:06:21 AM PST by SunkenCiv
Experts at the newly established Italian Studies Center at Lanzhou University in Gansu province are looking into the possibility that some European-looking Chinese in Northwest China are the descendants of a lost army from the Roman Empire.
They will conduct excavations on a section of the Silk Road, a 7,000-kilometer trade route that linked Asia and Europe more than 2,000 years ago, to see if a legion of Roman soldiers settled in China, said Yuan Honggeng, head of the center, reports China Daily...
Before Marco Polo's travels to China in the 13th century, the only known contact between the two empires was a visit by Roman diplomats in 166 AD.
Chinese archaeologists were therefore surprised in the 1990s to find the remains of an ancient fortification in Liqian, a remote town in Yongchang county on the edge of a desert area, that was strikingly similar to Roman defense structures.
They were even more astonished to find Western-looking people with green, deep-set eyes, long hooked noses and blond hair.
DNA tests in 2005 confirmed some of the villagers were indeed of Caucasian origin, leading many experts to conclude they are descendants of an ancient Roman army headed by general Marcus Crassus.
Though some anthropologists are convinced the Caucasian-looking villagers in Yongchang county are the descendants of the soldiers, others are not so certain.
"The county is on the Silk Road, so there were many chances for trans-national marriages," said Yang Gongle, of the Beijing Normal University.
"The 'foreign' origin of the Yongchang villagers, as proven by the DNA tests, does not necessarily mean they are of ancient Roman origin," said Gongle.
(Excerpt) Read more at newstrackindia.com ...
This is an update, as you can see in the list I'm about to post.
Roman Descendants Found In China?
The Telegraph (UK) | 2-2-2007 | Richard Spencer
Posted on 02/01/2007 6:08:49 PM PST by blam
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1777711/posts
Romans in China?
Archaeology | Volume 52 Number 3, May/June 1999 | Erling Hoh
Posted on 07/18/2004 8:43:09 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1173944/posts
Roman Legion Founded Chinese City
Ansa | 7-25-2005
Posted on 07/31/2005 12:31:23 PM PDT by blam
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1454296/posts
Roman-Style Column Bolsters Han Dynasty Tomb
Peoples Daily | 4-9-2007
Posted on 04/08/2007 6:41:47 PM PDT by blam
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1814182/posts
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
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1166283/posts
Bricks With Molded Designs Unearthed In Chongqing (Caucasians in Ancient China)
Xinhuanet.com/China View | 1-12-2004
Posted on 01/12/2004 12:28:45 PM EST by blam
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1056341/posts
Nestorian Tablet in China
Internet History Sourcebooks Project, Fordham University | July1998 | ed Paul Halsall
Posted on 07/21/2004 11:04:48 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1175726/posts
Romans May Have Learned From Chinese Great Wall: Archaeologists
People’s Daily Online/Xinhua | 12-20-2005
Posted on 12/20/2005 12:59:10 PM EST by blam
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1544089/posts
Archeologists discover ancient graffiti on China’s Great Wall
Yahoo News | July 11, 2004 | AFP
Posted on 07/11/2004 4:17:46 PM PDT by FairOpinion
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1169415/posts
Ancient Engraved Chessboards Found On Great Wall
People’s Daily - Xinhua | 6-5-2006
Posted on 06/05/2006 7:00:02 PM EDT by blam
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1643914/posts
Multiplication Table From 1,800 Years Ago Discovered In Hunan
Peoples Daily | 3-9-2004
Posted on 03/09/2004 7:04:42 PM EST by blam
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1094206/posts
More evidence unearthed at ancient port of Muziris
The Hindu | Sunday, March 14, 2010 | A. Srivathsan
Posted on 03/19/2010 4:40:01 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2475027/posts
Tamil Trade
INTAMM | 1997 | Xavier S. Thani Nayagam
Posted on 09/11/2004 11:07:01 PM EDT by SunkenCiv
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1213591/posts
South Indians in Roman Egypt?
Frontline, from the publishers of The Hindu | Volume 27, Issue 8, April 10-23, 2010 | R. Krishnakumar
Posted on 04/07/2010 7:37:05 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2488786/posts
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Bump for reference.
Experts .... are looking into the possibility that some European-looking Chinese in Northwest China are the descendants of a lost army from the Roman Empire. ... archaeologists were therefore surprised in the 1990s to find the remains of an ancient fortification in Liqian, a remote town in Yongchang county on the edge of a desert area
If they were "Lost", they were really "lost".
Liqian, China is in the middle of nowhere. 'Remote' is putting it mildly.
They refused to ask for directions . . .
Did they take the express from Teutoburg and get off on the wrong stop?
There were Caucasians in Gansu Province a 1,000 years before there was a Rome.
In fact, one archaeologist believes that Caucasians are from the Gansu Province region.
bump
"The discoveries in the 1980s of the undisturbed 4,000-year-old ”Beauty of Loulan” and the younger 3,000-year-old body of the ”Charchan Man” are legendary in world archaeological circles for the fine state of their preservation and for the wealth of knowledge they bring to modern research."
One of the ten lost tribes.
bumpus maximus
grafitti on the Great Wall?
Brian is writing graffiti on the palace wall. The Centurion catches him in the act]
Centurion: What’s this, then? “Romanes eunt domus”? People called Romanes, they go, the house?
Brian: It says, “Romans go home. “
Centurion: No it doesn’t ! What’s the latin for “Roman”? Come on, come on !
Brian: Er, “Romanus” !
Centurion: Vocative plural of “Romanus” is?
Brian: Er, er, “Romani” !
Centurion: [Writes “Romani” over Brian’s graffiti] “Eunt”? What is “eunt”? Conjugate the verb, “to go” !
Brian: Er, “Ire”. Er, “eo”, “is”, “it”, “imus”, “itis”, “eunt”.
Centurion: So, “eunt” is...?
Brian: Third person plural present indicative, “they go”.
Centurion: But, “Romans, go home” is an order. So you must use...?
[He twists Brian’s ear]
Brian: Aaagh ! The imperative !
Centurion: Which is...?
Brian: Aaaagh ! Er, er, “i” !
Centurion: How many Romans?
Brian: Aaaaagh ! Plural, plural, er, “ite” !
Centurion: [Writes “ite”] “Domus”? Nominative? “Go home” is motion towards, isn’t it?
Brian: Dative !
[the Centurion holds a sword to his throat]
Brian: Aaagh ! Not the dative, not the dative ! Er, er, accusative, “Domum” !
Centurion: But “Domus” takes the locative, which is...?
Brian: Er, “Domum” !
Centurion: [Writes “Domum”] Understand? Now, write it out a hundred times.
Brian: Yes sir. Thank you, sir. Hail Caesar, sir.
Centurion: Hail Caesar ! And if it’s not done by sunrise, I’ll cut your balls off.
I think these people were the Tocharians, the same people who left the Taklamakan Desert Mummies - FAR OLDER than the Romans.
Trojans, who also were the origins of Scandinavians.
yitbos
???????????????
No, Tocharians.
Honorable speculators may disagree.
yitbos
So, the Trojans may have been displaced Tocharians? Or were the Tocharians displaced Trojans? Lots of displacing went around back in the olden days.
My guess on these particular oldies is that they may have been the Roman legionaries under whatshisname... but that they got sold into slavery as a group after their defeat.
Roman soldiers were also used as builders for Roman forts when the Romans went to places that needed forts built, so the former soldiers may have been put to use for such.
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