I would like to ask a few questions on the Chinese Mummies.

1. How and where were they found?
2. How were the bodies preserved?
3. What did these bodies reveal about the time in which they lived?

What Chinese mummies?

You probably mean those in the Tarim-valley, in the Province of Xinjiang. There, several (more than 100) mummies of an age between 2000 and 4000 years have been found. Finds are scattered: those mummies are found in several locations in the valley. The mummies look remarkably caucasian (deep-set eyes, blond hair, long noses).

How were they found?
Some by chance at the beginning of last century, but the bulk was excavated by Chinese and Uigur Archaeologists in the 70s. Many sites are near the chinese nuclear test base of Lop Nur.

How were the bodies preserved?
They are naturally preserved. This region is very dry and the soil salty. Average January temperatures are around minus 7 Degrees Celsius. However, some, but not many, were embalmed with a yellow substance that (as far as I know) could not be identified yet.

What did the bodies reveal?
A mummy (the man from Zaghunluq) who probably lived 1,000 BC has a drawing of a sun on his left temple. Nobody knows why, but it is thought there might be a connection to the Mithras-cult in Persia. The mummy of another man (500 years younger) bears scars of a neck-operation that was closed with horse-hair. The mummy of a woman wears a hat not unlike the pointed witch-hat we know from pictures of early Europe. DNA tests of the mummies reveal a connection to European peoples. The way of dressing was very similar to that of WEST-Europe at the same time. No explanation for this similarity has been found.

There is the hypothesis around the mummies could actually belong to the missing group of "Tocharoi" or "Tochari".

Hope those were the ones you meant.
sparkle

I would like to ask a few questions on the Chinese Mummies.
I left you 2 links as to photos and documentaries about them below you can also purchase them from amazon .

1. How and where were they found?
The mummies were discovered by an American archaeologist in the late 1980’s all the mummies were either red haired or blonde with European features .

2. How were the bodies preserved?
The dead were buried within a wickerwork frame and due to the cold and extremely arid conditions of this region the bodies were freeze dried .

3. What did these bodies reveal about the time in which they lived?
They were traders who penetrated this remote region some 3-5000 years ago they were advanced enough to practice surgery on each other as well as practice eerie rituals as evidenced by the discovery of strange witch like hats .

The riddle of the desert mummies
http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/mummies/riddle/riddle.html

nova online
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/chinamum/taklamakan.html (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/chinamum/taklamakan.html.)

hmm, they sound like a very interesting people.

Thanks! Anyone else have anything to add??

May not be the same mummies but I recall that two mummies were found in NW China and the man was 6'5" and the woman 6'2". Vely interlesting!

Thanks! Anyone else have anything to add??

Yep! Some more links:

general knowledge and assumptions (http://www.oxuscom.com/eyawtkat.htm)
...a link for people with library access (http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/bpl/ojoa/2004/00000023/00000001/art00005)
something on context (http://members.tripod.com/great-bulgaria/Central-Asian-Nomads-Unite/Yu-chi/)

Whoa thanks alot guys! This is really helping me out. Feel free to add more..