| Tocharian Child | |
| |
| Biographical Information | |
|---|---|
| Name(s) | Unknown |
| Age | ~1 year |
| Sex | male |
| Status | Unknown |
| Height | Unknown |
| Source | |
| Culture | Afanasevo Indo-European |
| Date(s) | 1800 BCE |
| Site | Tomb 2 |
| Current Location | |
| Location | Unknown |
| Catalog # | Unknown |
The Takla Makan mummies, found in the Xinjiang region or Tarim Basin of China in the late 1980's, date from 1800 BCE. Though found in the Chinese desert, they possess Nordic/European features and had reddish-blond hair. The child mummy was found in a tomb amongst others.
Biography[]
The male child is believed to be one year of age, and found in "Tomb 2" with two older females. The child is believed to have been buried alive.
Mummification[]
The arid desert helped preserve the body; the hot and dry climate apparently dried out the body.
Studies[]
Research is ongoing as to the reason as to why the Tocharians settled in the area, and where their origin lay.
Additional[]
Other mummies from this group include the Cherchen Man, The Beauty of Loulan and The Cherchen Mummies.
The Tarim Basin no longer resembles the wetlands that were present during the time of the Cherchen people and has now been completely taken over by the Taklamakan Desert.
References[]
http://www.meshrep.com/PicOfDay/mummies/mummies.htm
https://www.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/S13_Thesis_Longfellow.pdf https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tocharians http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2014/10/the-mysterious-european-mummies-of-china/