A TEAM of Chinese scientists have completed the genetic profile of an ancient Chinese ethnic minority emperor via genome analysis, according to local archaeologists.
Emperor Wu of the Xianbei-led Northern Zhou Dynasty (557-581), also known as Yuwen Yong, was an ambitious leader who died at 36. He belonged to the Xianbei nomadic group, which originated from the Mongolian Plateau.His skull and bones were discovered during an excavation held in 1994 and 1995 at the site of his tomb.
By spending six years studying DNA found in his remains, scientists led by Wen Shaoqing from the Institute of Archaeological Science of Fudan University, managed to decode key features of the emperor including the colour of his hair, skin and eyes.The reconstructed face showed that Yuwen Yong had black hair, yellow skin and brown eyes, while his appearance was typical for people from the east or northeast of Asia – different from what some people had imagined the Xianbei people would look like.
“Many people believed that the emperor had an exotic appearance. But the outcome is surprisingly different to their expectations,” said Wen. “He shared the closest genetic relationship with ancient Khitan and Heishui Mohe samples and modern Daur and Mongolian populations but also showed additional affinity with ancient Yellow River farmers.”
The appearance of the Xianbei people had been a controversial topic, with some historical records indicating that the group had characteristics with thick beards, yellow hair and protuberant noses. — Xinhua
