Riddle of origin of Tarim Mummy is disclosed

Scientists of the Institute of Evolution Anthropology Max Planck (Germany) decided the riddle of the origin of the famous Tarim mummies found in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China at the beginning of the 20th century. Full-generic analysis of DNA of human remains revealed that ancient people belonged to a separate population, and not migrants who arrived from the south of Siberia, the North of Afghanistan or the Mountains of Central Asia, as previously thought. The results of the study are published in the Nature magazine.

Tarim mummies dated with the early Bronze Age, from the moment of its detection, made a lot of disputes in the scientific community. The external appearance of well-preserved bodies were very different from all that scientists had to deal before. Anthropological characteristics indicated the European and mongoloid origin, hair, often braided in braids, had a redhead or blond shade. In addition, unusual felt and woven wool clothing, which were closed by mummies. The found artifacts indicated the breeding of cattle, sheep and goats, the cultivation of wheat, barley and millet and even making kefir cheese.

Researchers analyzed DNA 13 mummies dated 2100-1700 to our era, from the Tarim basin in the south of Xinjiang and five mummies 3000-2800 BC in the northern part of the Jungan basin. It is believed that these mummies are the earliest human remains discovered in Xinjiang today. It turned out that the Jungian mummies were steppe shepherds from the Altai-Sayan mountains on the territory of the current Southern Siberia, and Tarima were local. In addition, dairy proteins found in sediments on the teeth of seven Tarim mummies indicate that this population was probably relied on dairy animal husbandry.

In the aggregate, these results contradict the previous migration hypotheses and suggest that the genetically Tarim population was isolated, although supported close ties with other shepherds and farmers in the region. They made cheese from milk of ruminant animals using kefir fermentation, which was probably learned from the descendants of Afanasyev. They also buried with the branches of the conifer, which was also practiced in the cultures of Central Asia. The unique features of the Tarim culture developed in the harsh conditions of the desert tack-makan and her river oases.

/Media reports.