| Tocharian Woman Human Mummy | |
| |
| Biographical Information | |
|---|---|
| Name(s) | Tocharian Female |
| Age | 40 |
| Sex | female |
| Status | |
| Height | n/a |
| Source | |
| Culture | Indo-European |
| Date(s) | 1,000 BC |
| Site | Tomb 2 |
| Current Location | |
| Location | |
| Catalog # | |
Beginning in the 1980s of the Caucasoid mummies in a fine state of preservation began appearing in the remote Taklamakan desert. They had fair hair, European features and obviously were not ancestors of modern-day Chinese. Archaeologists now think they may have been part of an ancient civilization that existed at the crossroads between China and Europe. This woman, one of the Tarim Basin Mummies, she was tall, had blonde hair with braided into pigtails. She lived around 1000 BC and died at the age of about 40.
Mummification[]
Aridity, salinity and freezing temperatures combined to naturally preserve the mummy. She was found in the same tomb as the Tocharian Child.
Studies[]
Items of woven material, similar to Celtic methods, was found in the tomb. This mummy was approximately 40-years old, was found in the main chamber. Her tall stature, high nose, and fair hair indicate that she was of European descent.
External Links[]
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/chinamum/taklamakan.html
https://www.historicmysteries.com/the-tarim-mummies-of-xinjiang/