The Beauty of Loulan (楼兰美女; c. 1840 BC – c. 1800 BC), also called the Beauty of Krorän or Loulan Beauty, is the well-preserved body of a woman who lived around 1800 BC in the Xinjiang region of China. Because her body was so well-preserved, she is one of the most famous Tarim mummies.
The body was discovered in 1980 by Chinese archaeologists along with other mummies. It was very well-preserved by natural conditions. The woman’s appearance is not similar to people from China, which led many to believe she was of Uyghur origin. The Chinese government prevented further study of the mummies, but some samples were taken out of the country and tested in 1993. These tests showed evidence of European ancestry. Later studies by Chinese researchers in 2007 and 2009 confirmed these findings. The mummy is now displayed in museums.
Discovery
The mummy was discovered on April 1, 1980, in the Tiebanhe cemetery (铁板河墓) near Loulan, on the Silk Road in Xinjiang, by Chinese archaeologist Mu Shunying (穆舜英) and members of the Archaeological Institute of the Xinjiang Academy of Social Sciences. She is one of the Tarim mummies, named after the Tarim Basin, where they were found.
For many years, the Chinese government did not allow scientists to test the mummy’s DNA because of concerns that it might help Uyghur nationalists. In 1993, Victor Mair and Italian geneticist Paolo Francalacci tested some tissue samples. Although the Chinese government took the samples, Mair said a Chinese scientist secretly gave them some samples as they left. Their study showed the Loulan Beauty’s background was linked to Europe. Later, in 2007 and 2009, scientists from Jilin University and Fudan University in China tested samples and confirmed the findings, suggesting her ancestors may have traveled to Xinjiang through Siberia. After learning the mummy was not of Uyghur origin, the Chinese government allowed her to be displayed in museums.
In 1980, a Japanese painter named Yamaguchi Terunari (山本耀也) created a likeness of the mummy, which was shown next to her in the museum. As of 2008, the mummy is displayed on the second floor of the Xinjiang Museum in the "Mummy Hall" (古尸馆). The Chinese government has not allowed scientists outside China to study the mummies further.
Description
The mummy is wrapped in wool cloth, cowhide leather, and linen. She is wearing leather shoes. Nearby, researchers found several clay items and some grain.
Unlike Egyptian mummies, which were intentionally preserved, the Loulan Beauty and other Tarim mummies were preserved by accident. The Loulan Beauty was buried near a salt lake in the desert. The very dry and hot conditions there helped preserve even small details, such as the hair on her eyelashes.
Scientists estimate the woman was in her 40s when she died. When researchers examined her, they found that her shoes and clothing were worn out and had been repaired many times. Her hair had lice. She had inhaled a lot of sand, dust, and charcoal. This may have caused her to die from lung problems. She lived around 1800 BC.
Significance
The Tarim mummies provide evidence that people with European genetic markers lived in East Asia much earlier than previously thought. In a 2007 study, Jin Li, a scientist from Fudan University, reported finding genetic markers from South and East Asia among the mummies. However, Victor H. Mair disagreed with this conclusion. Elizabeth Barber studied the cloth fabrics found with the mummies and suggested that these fabrics show connections to the Caucasus region and Scotland.