A meeting of two ancient empires: How did two Chinese skeletons find their way into a Roman [tr]

UK Daily Mail ^ | September 23, 2016 | Richard Gray

[C19fan]

They were two powerful, ancient empires separated by more than 5,000 miles of imposing mountain ranges, barren desert and exposed steppe grasslands.

Yet a collection of seemingly unremarkable bones discovered in a Roman cemetery in London has provided new insights into the links between the Roman Empire and Imperial China.

Analysis has revealed that two skeletons dating from between the 2nd and 4th Century AD unearthed at the site in the city's Southwark area may have been Chinese.

[C19fan]

Imperial Rome and the Han Dynasty traded. Romans, especially high class women, went crazy for Chinese silk must to the consternation of advocates of Roman virtue. Besides silk, plague and other diseases went West using the trade routes.

[VanDeKoik]

There were even Roman soldiers found that were captured in the middle east and sold into slavery that eventually made it to China. Roman coins made it to India and Indonesia.

Even though they were far apart, it isnt like they were on different planets.

[ExpatCanuck]

They were probably delivering take-out and got ambushed.

[bgill]

only one person of Asian ancestry has ever been found on sites dating back to the Roman Empire

No mystery. Just because they haven't been digging in the right places, doesn't mean there aren't any. Stuffed shirt learned scholars eating crow again.

[C19fan]

Like Matt Damon???? [Referring to the upcoming movie “The Great Wall”]

[Spirochete]

China was known to Romans as "Serica", the land of silk. They called the Chinese "Seres", and since 166 AD there was a Rome-India-China trade route via Erythraean (Arabian) Sea and Parthian middlemen.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serica

[Fai Mao]

High quality Roman glass ware has been found in China. The two empires may not have had much direct contact but they knew of each other

[ETL]

They fought their way on?

[Paradox]

I guess the Romans liked to eat well...

[ETL]

on = in

[oldvirginian]

There have been people wandering around ever since there was someplace to wander from.

I love it when academics have to admit they don’t know everything.

[Gaffer]

Illegal immigrants?

[N. Theknow]

Roamin’ Chinamen? Looking to obtain some Roman noodles?

[qam1]

With the land route being very long & dangerous and considering this time frame was during the Roman Warm Period, I wonder if the Chinese got to England by sailing an ice free Arctic Ocean.

[katana]

Silk from China and cotton from India were available to upper class Romans. The only mystery is why people think such trade could not have happened when the basic routes and modes of transport (camels, horses, wagons, and ships) were little different in 100 BC than in 1400 AD. Human nature and the quest for prestige goods and wealth never change.

[dp0622]

what movie is that. Jason? haven’t seen this scene in forever :)

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***There were even Roman soldiers found that were captured in the middle east***

Would these be the remnants of the army of Marcus Licinius Crassus, the General who defeated Spartacus?

[moovova]

Marco...

[ETL]

Yes, Jason And The Argonauts.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xlsqe6_jason-and-the-argonauts_shortfilms

[onedoug]

Southwark? Had Shakespeare known of this he might have written a play of the Chinese.