Recently an article was published in the New York Times discussing the Tarim mummy exhibit in Urumqi, located in the Chinese territory Xingjiang. They have on display 4 well-preserved mummies, some of which are nearly 4,000 years old. Because of the dry climate they were found in, these mummies are remarkably well preserved with most of them still having intact hair, skin and clothing. This preservation helps scientists to determine the age of the mummies as well as their area of origin. Surprisingly, many of these mummies have high cheekbones and light hair as well as a style of textiles that seems to imply a Central Asian origin (Georgia, Russia, or Turkey). This is potentially wonderful news to the Turkic speaking ethnic group, Uighur, but causes a problem for the Chinese government.
For hundreds of years, this area of China has been a great source of tension between the Chinese and the Uighur, a Muslim ethnic group numbering nine million in Xinjiang. The Uighur are a distinct ethnic group with origins in Central Asia. They are predominantly Muslim, which is a huge cause of conflict between them and the Chinese government. Although Islam is established as one of China’s 5 recognized religions, it is most heavily restricted in this area because of the large amount of Islamic practitioners. Some officials even believe that the Uighur are one of the biggest security threats to China today. However, the Uighur believe that it is their right to live in this area and a variety of insurgent groups have emerged. Not surprisingly, Chinese officials are unwilling to give up control of the area. One of the main reasons for this is because of the presence of oil and gas in this region. It is the hope of the Uighur that these mummies will show that their people have inhabited this land for thousands of years and therefore they claim possession of it.
The majority of research performed on these mummies seems to indicate that many have a Central Asian origin, which would support the Uighur claims on the area. Many of the mummies display light hair and high cheekbones, which are Central Asian features. The textiles found with the mummies also share resemblances to cloth found in Central Asia from this same period. However, some mummies do show East Asian characteristics, which suggest a greater mixing of people and do great damage to the claims of the Uighur.
This story is an example of how archaeology can be used by governments today as a political tool. In this case, both the Uighur and the Chinese want to claim the mummies as their ancestors because it will help show that their people have been in the area for thousands of years and therefore deserve to be in control of it and its resources. However, it is difficult to determine exactly who the mummies were because depending on who does the research and who is funding it, the results can turn out quite differently. The Uighur are hoping the mummies to be of a Central Asian origin and have even created a popular song about one of the mummies demonstrating these hopes. If it is decided that the mummies are their ancestors it gives them a stronger claim to the area. Yet, the Chinese scientists claim that the mummies show Eastern Asian characteristics and therefore come from Eastern Asia, which would give the Chinese the right to this area. Either way, it seems that both the Chinese and the Uighur believe that they are right and it will be quite some time before a consensus is reached.
