The Sand Dune Forgotten By Time (Caucasian Mummies In China - More )

China.Org ^ | 3-19-2005

[blam]

The Sand Dune Forgotten by Time

Archaeologists working in the extreme desert terrain of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region have moved a step closer to unraveling the mystery of a 40-century-old civilization.

They unearthed 163 tombs containing mummies during their ongoing and long excavation at the mysterious Xiaohe tomb complex.

And it's all thanks to the translation of a diary kept by a Swedish explorer more than 70 years ago.

"We have found more than 30 coffins containing mummies," said Idelisi Abuduresule, head of the Xinjiang Cultural Relics and Archaeology Institute and the excavation team.

The complex is believed to contain 330 or so tombs buried in several layers within a 2,500-square-meter sand dune.

"Most of the items are in the original state of the time when they were buried, and that will help reveal a lot of information about the society and life style of the people of that time," said Idelisi, during his trip back from the desert dust and heat to the autonomous region's capital Urumqi to record the finds, and store the artifacts.

The Xiaohe tombs are believed to have been the burial site of the mysterious Loulan Kingdom, which disappeared without historical trace about 15 centuries ago.

Today's archaeologists are following in the footsteps of Swedish explorer Folke Bergman, who in 1934 ventured south along a river in Lop Nur Desert in the eastern part of Xinjiang.

He said on his return that he'd discovered a dune harboring over 1,000 coffins that date back 4,000 years ago.

He named the place Xiaohe (small river) tombs.

But the river he used to navigate to this ancient site dried up and the dune and its tombs were forgotten about for decades.

In the late 1990s, however, Chinese sociologists translated Bergman's records on archaeological exploration in the area into Chinese and the hunt for dune and its mysteries was once again underway.

In addition to burial articles such as bent wooden blocks and straw baskets, Idelisi's team has found in some coffins wooden figures wrapped in leather instead of mummified bodies.

A bird's-eye view of Xiaohe tombs shows the oval-shape dune taking on the appearance of dumpling pricked full of chopsticks.

Above every coffin protrudes two thick wooden stakes, a symbol some believe of ancient worshiping.

"Considering the scale of the burial site and the mysterious cultural signs, the analyses of the relics are going to yield some exciting results," predicted Idelisi.

The State Administration of Cultural Heritage approved excavation of the Xiaohe tombs in 2003.

(China Daily March 19, 2005)

[cats2dogs]

Or a way to find the coffins after a sand storm.

[UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide]

The GGG Digest -- Gods, Graves, Glyphs (alpha order)

Has anyone ever pointed out that those are not in "alpha order"?

[UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide]

But the river he used to navigate to this ancient site dried up and the dune and its tombs were forgotten about for decades.

Global Warming!

[Cronos]

The Aryans (Indo-Europeans) had the caste system that the Celts (not the Slavs nor the Germanics tribes) used. It was the same social structure, same origins, similar language. This cannot be said of the Germanic tribes.

Please could you elaborate on that? I've never heard of the Celts having a caste system.

The Celts didn't ONLY settle in Brittany region, but the Irish and Brittany Celts you are reffering to were the only celts to do so.

The Celts were based only in Western Europe, West and south of the Germanics.

The Gauls also made the Galatians (from which we get the name of a book in the Bible.)

The Galatians were the results of the GAulish expansion south in the 3rd century BC when they attacked Rome and then moved south to take over what became Galatia.

[Cronos]

Should drop "arab" and place "semites" instead.

No 'semites' invaded Iberia. The Romans were Indo-European Italics.

[Cronos]

The residents of the regions of Asia north of the huge Asian mountain range (does it have a single name?) have a considerable tradition of migrating.

The Himalayas. Essentially the mountain ranges formed when the sub-continent of India slammed into Asia a few millenia ago.

[Cronos]

Global Warming!

Nope, the expansion of the Gobi desert.

[RightWhale]

Sure that is part, and not even most of it. The Caucusus is attached, what is north of Iran, what goes up into China around the Gobi Desert, it's all one big mountain chain. North of all that.

[SunkenCiv]

Yeah, the FR server pointed that out (saving keywords). ;')

[MacDorcha]

"No 'semites' invaded Iberia. The Romans were Indo-European Italics."

Then what are "Moors" I ask?

[MacDorcha]

Brahman-Druid
Kshatriya-Chiefs and warriors
Vaishya-Merchants and tradesmen
Shudra-Metalcrafts and jewlers
Harijan- the conquered class (the Romans were held in such regards until they rose again later)

[MacDorcha]

The cauacasians. The obviously white people in China's northern region. Why did they leave? Did they die? Why was it so easy to assume they hadn't been there for so long until these mummies were found?

[SunkenCiv]

Hidden History of Men
Discover | December 2004 | Robert Kunzig
Posted on 11/21/2004 12:00:12 PM PST by SunkenCiv
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1285410/posts

The Hidden History Of Men (Anthropology)
Discover Magazine | 12-2004 | Robert Kunzig
Posted on 11/21/2004 3:13:58 PM PST by blam
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1285491/posts

[Cronos]

Then what are "Moors" I ask?

Moors were mostly Berbers who are not Semites but indigenous North Africans, more related to Vandals etc.

[Cronos]

Harijan- the conquered class (the Romans were held in such regards until they rose again later)

Never heard of heiriditary (sp?) low castes amongst the Celts

[Cronos]

Furthermore, your replies are disjointed. First you said There were even Iberian Celts (until the arabs came to Spain)

THen Should drop "arab" and place "semites" instead.

[MacDorcha]

"Never heard of heiriditary (sp?) low castes amongst the Celts"

Then its the one discrepancy in their systems.

The last teir is least discussed of the Vedic castes than others. The untouchables aren't even (at least as I recall) mentioned in the Ramayana and the Bhagavad Gita.

the remaining castes hold their clout, however. Woman's rolls not withstanding.

[MacDorcha]

I was under the impression they were from Syria.

It was ruled AS part of North Africa, but it was ruled (though weakly) by Syrians (largely semitic at the time)

[Cronos]

You may have a point about that caste system similarity. Thanks!!!

Berbers were not from Syria. You are right that they were initially nominally under the Umayyad Caliphate in Syria, but later on they broke away and formed their own Caliphate based in Morocco.

[MacDorcha]

" You are right that they were initially nominally under the Umayyad Caliphate in Syria, but later on they broke away and formed their own Caliphate based in Morocco."


OOOOHHHHH.... Now its coming together :)