Currently Reading..........

The Mummies of Urumchi by Elizabeth Wayland Barber.

In 1994 archaeologists uncovered a series of ancient graves in Western China. Because the deceased were buried in a desert area with a naturally high salt content in the soil the bodies were astonishingly well preserved. However, the most surprising find was that the bodies were not Chinese or Mongolian but Caucasian.


Three thousand years ago these mysterious people were laid to rest. For example, Cherchen Man who stood six foot six inches tall and had long, light brown hair and a thick beard. His face was painted with yellow sun spirals, a symbol common in Indo-European civilizations. From the same tomb came the body of Cherchen Woman, six foot tall, elegantly dressed and painted. Buried above them was the body of a tiny three month old infant carefully swaddled and still wearing a blue felt bonnet. Laid to rest with the baby was a feeding bottle made from a sheep's udder.

Textiles found in other graves showed a fondness for bright colors and plaid patterns. Who were these people and where did they go?

This book is beautifully illustrated, and a gripping read for anyone interested in the mysteries of our past.