SANTA ANA, Calif., Nov. 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- One of the most important archaeological finds -- and certainly one of the greatest mysteries of the 20th century -- are the hundreds of well-preserved mummies that have been found buried in the parched sands of the Tarim Basin in the Far Western Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China.

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, long nosed, red or blond 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.

On March 27, 2010, these mummies will be seen for the first time outside of Asia at The Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, California in an exhibition entitled "Secrets of the Silk Road: Mystery Mummies of China." Following its closing July 25, 2010, it will move to the Houston Museum of Natural Science from August 28, 2010 to January 2, 2011, and then to the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology from February 5, 2011 to June 5, 2011.

The exhibition features more than 150 objects, many predating the Silk Road by more than 1,500 years. The objects have been drawn from the collections of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Museum and the Xinjiang Institute of Archaeology in Urumqi.

"Secrets of the Silk Road: Mystery Mummies of China" includes three mummies: the much-celebrated Yingpan Man with his gold-foil and white mask and beautiful robes; an infant wrapped in a woolen blanket, wearing a blue and red bonnet of lightly felted wool; and a spectacular recent discovery of a 3,800-year-old female mummy named The Beauty of Xiaohe whose beauty is startling. (Media is authorized to use photo of female mummy.)

The exhibit Curatorial Consultant team features Dr. Victor Mair, Professor of Chinese Language and Literature, University of Pennsylvania; Dr. Spencer Wells, National Geographic Society; Dr. Elizabeth Barber, Occidental College; and Lothar von Falkenhausen, Professor, UCLA.

SOURCE Bowers Museum

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RELATED LINKS
http://www.bowers.org
http://www.hmns.org/
http://www.penn.museum/