A Disappeared Kingdom
--Sun Tomb--

In 1979, lots of ancient tombs were discovered in the east Lop Nur. They lied in a sand dune, the north bank of Konqi River. The width was 35 meters and length was 45 meters and its square was 1,600 square meters. According to different symbols of tombs’ surfaces, the 42 discovered tombs were divided into two kinds.

One kind was the pit tomb. There were two straight woodpiles standing in the north and south sides of the tomb. The wood coffin was made of small pieces of wood and it was boat-shape, no bottom. Two piles were standing in two ends. The outside of wood coffin top was covered with sheepskin and dustbin-shape grass weaving. There was one body in most of the coffins. The body’s face was upwards and his head was northwards. The body was naked and wrapped by the felt. He wore the sharp felt hat with feather and leather shoes.

There were jade and bone artifact in the body’s neck, wrist and waist. A small sack of broken Chinese ephedrine was laid on his right breast and there was a small basket with wheat and white thick liquid. The wood and stone statues were in the east-end of the tomb. The other burial articles included wood basin, bowl, cup, and horn and saw tooth-shape wood and others. There was a child body covered with the felt tightly and kept completely.

Another kind was the tomb that was surrounded by regular wood piles in a circle and there were seven concentric circles. The wood piles were arranged from the inside to the outside in order. There were some radiation-shape piles out side of the circle and formed 5 or 6 meters radiation. Affording foot for thought, the masters of the tombs were male. Their burial posture were the same that the bodies stretched out, the heads were towards the east and the feet were towards the west.

The elaborate designed way that was used to arrange the wood piles was rarely seen in Xinjiang area so far. So it caused that people paid more attention to its meaning.

Anthropologists were interested in these ancients, too. In their process of research, they found that the ancients of Ancient Tombs Channel were part of the ancient Europeans. Compared with bone of neighboring area, the ancients’ of Ancient Tombs Channel were similar to those people’s who lived in South Siberia, Hasakesitan, Fuerjia River Grasslands and Dead Sea Area in Bronze Age (picture 17). More research had proved that skull, which was unearthed from the tomb with wood piles circle around it, was similar to Andeluowo mutation of South Siberia’s Miluxinsike Basin in physical characteristic. The type of bone that was found in the first kind of tomb in Ancient Tombs Channel was similar to the Afannawo type of South Siberia’s Miluxinsike.

The scholars of former Soviet Union had proved that Afannawo cultural type in Miluxinsike Basin was earlier than the Andeluowo cultural type. This viewpoint had been proved by Chinese archaeologists. When they cleared the tombs of Ancient Tombs Channel, they found that the first type was under the second type and it showed that the latter was later than the former. The scholars used the C14 to determine the age and the age of the first type was more than 3,800 years ago.

The Swedish Sven.A.Hedin collected many skulls when he visited Lop Nur in 1928 and 1934. Some of the skulls were similar to the skulls of Ancient Tombs Channel.

It seemed that the residents who had ancient European blood relationship had lived here and depended on hunting and raising animals in Lop Nur area in 4,000 years ago. Distinguishing the unearthed wheat, we knew that this kind of wheat was ordinary wheat. Inferring from this, there had been original agriculture. The wool textile, felt textile and leather craft had appeared and it showed that the weaving and process hides crafts came up to a certain standard. The wool was the raw material to producing the felt and the cloth. The texture of top quality was soft and the weaving was well proportioned. The margin was decorated with tassels and it had a certain craft value. The felt hat was made from the head and fur of the marten. In another neighboring tomb, people found two necklaces that were made of chrysanthemum-shape shells. It showed that the ancients of Ancient Tombs Channel had done business with the outside.

The ancients of Ancient Tombs Channel had their own special religion and burial custom. Besides burying the wood circle to worship the sun, they usually used the red to decorate the tomb. For example, the piles, board, wood oars, wood statues and the inside wall of the body room were decorated with the red color or red design. Furthermore, two red lines were weaved in the felt and there were two red threads in both sides of the waist belt. The felt hat was decorated with the red thread and the comb was decorated with the red triangle grain. The red color had been the sole color of Ancient Tombs Channel peoples’ life.

Among these tombs, a female tomb lied in the east on which a house was built and it was surrounded by many board with designs and bull skulls. The piles formed a half circle on the opposite of the tomb. The installments of the whole tombs were towards the female tomb, because it was very special in all tombs, or its master had been the leader of the group.

Which nationality did the ancient European belong to? Nowadays, we didn’t know the origin. We could use some ancient works as clue to infer it. In a book “History” written by ancient writer Xiluoduode, it had reported that in three tribes named “Saike”, one was called “sharp hat Saike”, another was called “worshiping Chinese ephedrine Saike” and they both lived in the grasslands. The both characteristics were their appearance in Lop Nur area and it showed their relationship with the ancients of Ancient Tombs Channel.

Maybe another “Ancient Tombs Channel” existed, where ancient European were buried in Lop Nur area. The future discovery would unravel the historic mystery, why did the European tribes live in Lop Nur in 4,000 years ago? How about their fate?

Translated by Beijing Star-light Translation Center
Written by www.travel-silkroad.com
February 13, 2001