DNA from 5,000-year-old Chinese mummies surprises archaeologists around the world. Why is it?

Their clothing and bodies are remarkably well preserved. Thanks to the dry desert air, even faces and hair are clearly visible. However, since their discovery, researchers have been concerned with the question of the origin of these people.

Judging by the remains of woolen clothing found at the burial sites, these were the migrant farmers of the West Asian steppes from the mountainous regions and desert oases.

Recent data compiled by Chinese, European and American researchers from DNA from 13 different mummies suggests that these 4,000-year-old “newcomers” are actually natives of the Asian Ice Age.

“We have concrete evidence that these people came from a genetically isolated regional population.

Despite this fact of isolation, it is clear that these people have adopted new ideas in land cultivation and the use of technology from their neighbors, while also preserving the uniqueness of their unique culture,” said Christina Veriner, an associate professor at Harvard University.

One of the mummies found in the Tarim Basin is between 3,700 and 4,100 years old, while the oldest is even 5,000 years old, making it the oldest specimen found in this region of China.