Mystery Mummies from China On Exhibit At Bowers Museum

Infant Mummy, c. 8th Century BC
Excavated from Zaghunluq, Chärchän
Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Museum Collection
Photo credit: Wang de Gang





By Larry Caballero


One of the most exquisite mummies ever excavated highlights The Bowers Museum’s biggest exhibit of the year, Secrets of the Silk Road: Mystery Mummies from China. The historic exhibition of cross-cultural relics from Ancient China will be on display until July 25 at the museum located at 2002 North Main Street, Santa Ana, CA 92706.
Of the 150+ ancient treasures in the show, the most amazing is 3,800-year-old “Beauty of Xiaohe,” who was discovered in the parched sands of the Tarim Basin in the Far Western Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China in one of the most celebrated and scientifically-important discoveries ever.
She is considered to be one the most well-preserved mummies in history -- if not the most well-preserved. The reason these mummies are so historically important and have created such a controversy is their high degree of preservation, which has allowed scientists to see far more detail than would normally be expected in a burial site.
These mummies are not, for the most part, Asian-looking, but rather light-skinned, round eyed, with long noses, red or blonde haired men, women and children. The material buried with them, as well as their perfectly preserved clothing, bears a striking resemblance to mummies found in Siberia to the North, Persia to the West, and Europe.
What is even more surprising is that these mummies span a period of more than 3,000 years, providing a glimpse into the ancient Silk Road traders, who were an intriguing mix of people from all over Eurasia, based on DNA research.
The exhibit is the latest in a long line of Bowers Museum blockbusters that have evolved through its unique relationship with China. Other landmark Bowers shows from China include Terra Cotta Warriors, Secret World of the Forbidden City and Tibet! Treasures from the Roof of the World.
Several major metropolitan museums tried for decades to land Secrets of the Silk Road – to no avail. It took 10 years for The Bowers to secure it. The 150 priceless objects in Secrets of the Silk Road have never been seen in the U.S. -- or outside of China, for that matter, include three mummies discovered in the parched sands of the Tarim Basin.
In addition to the mummies, the exhibit features a vast array of well-preserved clothing, textiles, wood and bone implements, coins, documents, and jewel-encrusted gold objects, including vessels, masks and jewelry.
This impressive collection of objects reflects the full extent of the Silk Road trade with strong Mediterranean influences as well as goods from ancient China.
The exhibit objects were found along the celebrated Silk Road as far back as 1800 B.C.; they help accentuate the legend of the treacherous 4,600-mile route that traders traveled through harsh desert and steep mountains in temperatures ranging from minus 50 degrees to 120.
The exhibition is accompanied by a landmark catalog authored by an impressive team of authorities including Victor Mair, Professor of Chinese Language and Literature, University of Pennsylvania.
“This breakthrough exhibition will open up a whole new world of understanding and interest in the complex ancient history of this part of China, and the vast area where so many peoples connected so long ago,” said Mair.
Visitors of the museum who have seen the extraordinary exhibit had only positive comments. Stuart and Lyn Elliot, for example, had been looking forward to seeing the exhibit for some time and thought it was “impressive.” The Cotton family from Cypress, California, was amazed that everything was so well-planned. “Even the lighting was perfect,” said Lyn Elliot.
The “secret” of the Silk Road exhibit is that the objects predate the world-famous route by almost 2,000 years and they reflect a much more global population than previously realized.
Bowers Museum has earned a reputation globally as one of the world’s great hidden cultural gems for its ability to land such blockbuster exhibits.
The museum’s email address is www.bowers.org and telephone is 714-567-3642.