News Genetics

DNA from mysterious Asian mummies reveals their surprising ancestry

Researchers have debated where the Bronze Age group originated from

The head and neck of a naturally mummified woman with long dark hair, wearing a white hat

This naturally mummified woman from a roughly 4,000-year-old cemetery in western China belonged to a genetically separate but culturally connected population, a study finds.

Wenying Li/Xinjiang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology

By Bruce Bower

Mystery mummies from Central Asia have a surprising ancestry. These people, who displayed facial characteristics suggesting a European heritage, belonged to a local population with ancient Asian roots, a new study finds.