Posted on 10/06/2004 6:04:21 AM PDT by Pharmboy
TOKYO (AP) - Archaeologists have unearthed the site of Genghis Khan's palace and believe the long-sought grave of the 13th century Mongolian warrior is somewhere nearby, the head of the excavation team said Wednesday. A Japanese and Mongolian research team found the complex on a grassy steppe 150 miles east of the Mongolian capital of Ulan Bator, said Shinpei Kato, professor emeritus at Tokyo's Kokugakuin University.
Genghis Khan (c. 1162-1227) united warring tribes to become leader of the Mongols in 1206. After his death, his descendants expanded his empire until it stretched from China to Hungary.
Genghis Khan built the palace in the simple shape of a square tent attached to wooden columns on the site at around 1200, Kato said.
The researchers found porcelain buried among the ruins dated to the warrior's era, helping identify the grounds, Kato said. A description of the scenery around the palace by a messenger from China's Southern Tang Dynasty in 1232 also matched the area, he added.
Genghis Khan's tomb is believed to be nearby because ancient texts say court officials commuted from the mausoleum later built on the grounds to the burial site daily to conduct rituals for the dead.
Kato said his group was not aiming specifically to find the grave. Still, he said finding it would help uncover the secrets of Genghis Khan's power.
"Genghis Khan conquered Eurasia and built a massive empire. There had to have been a great deal of interaction between east and west at the time, in terms of culture and the exchange of goods," Kato said in an interview. "If we find what items were buried with him, we could write a new page for world history."
Genghis Khan's grave site is one of archaeology's enduring mysteries. According to legend, in order to keep it secret, his huge burial party killed anyone who saw them en route to it; then servants and soldiers who attended the funeral were massacred.
Kato said an ancient Chinese text says a baby camel was buried at the grave in front of her mother so the parent could lead Khan's family to the tomb when needed.
Archaeologists have been forced to abandon their searches for Khan's grave in the past, however, due to protests excavation would disturb the site.
An American-financed expedition to find the tomb stopped work in 2002 after being accused by a prominent Mongolian politician of desecrating traditional rulers' graves.
In 1993, Japanese archaeologists terminated a search for the tomb after a poll in Ulan Bator found the project unpopular.
According to Mongolian tradition, violating ancestral tombs destroys the soul that serves as protector.
If researchers do find the tomb, they would also likely discover the graves of Kublai Khan - Genghis' grandson who spread the Mongol empire to southeast Asia and became the first emperor of China's Yuan Dynasty - at the same time.
According to ancient texts, 13 or 14 Khan warriors, including Genghis and Kublai, are buried in the same place.
Kato said he would step aside and leave the matter of how to proceed up to his Mongolian colleagues if the team discovered the tombs.
"We will consult our Mongolian colleagues and decide what the best next step would be - we may have to escape back to Japan," Kato said, laughing. "Excavation should be done by Mongolians - not by those of us from other countries. It is up for Mongolians to decide."
Yes, but without Alexander, the Persians might have conquered Greece. There would have been no Western Civilization. So I'd say that notwithstanding Alexander's smaller territory compared to Genghis, Alexander was far more important. Besides, Alexander was a student of Aristotle. It's possible that a lost manuscript or two got buried with him. His tomb -- because of its possible contents -- could be a far more important find than that of Genghis.
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GGG PING -- looks like nobody pinged you to this yet.
Alexander's conquest didn't hold together as a single unit after his untimely death, but altogether the various kingdoms covered a slightly larger area and lasted in some cases for centuries. Unlike the Persian Empire that area included Greece, which Persia never managed to conquer (not for lack of trying).Genghis Khan: Father to Millions?The Mongol emperor's habit of killing the men and inseminating the women when his army conquered a new territory, coupled with handing the Empire and other wealth to his sons, and their sons, would explain how the chromosome came to such prevalence today, said Sykes.
by Rossella Lorenzi
June 22, 2004
The final piece of evidence came from the Hazara, a hill tribe in Pakistan who had a strong oral history of being descended from Genghis Khan.
"The Y chromosome was present in the Hazara, but not in the surrounding tribes, who did not have this oral history. Though the evidence is circumstantial, it is, I believe, very strong," Sykes said.
George W. Bush will be reelected by a margin of at least ten per cent
Election 2004 threads on FR
Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on, off, or alter the "Gods, Graves, Glyphs" PING list --
Archaeology/Anthropology/Ancient Cultures/Artifacts/Antiquities, etc.
The GGG Digest -- Gods, Graves, Glyphs (alpha order)
I believe that the spelling has evolved over the centuries. It is now Kerry Con, John Con, or simply John the Con, Kerry on!
It was pronounced 'Chengis'. The term Chengisxhan was a title adopted at the all-tribal council which elected him ruler of high Asia around 1206, or 'ruler over all such as live in felt tents'. The man's giv en name was Tem-ujin.
The guy was the ultimate self-made man. His conquest of Northern China and the later conquest of all of China by his dynasty should in theory have been impossible since there was a population differential of at least 100/1 between China and Mongolia. Kind of like a squirrel killing a lion and eating it.
ping
He was a KELT!
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ping
Is that a Kosher Celt?
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