Excavations of China’s tomb M1401 uncover a ‘European’ skull — and it’s 1400 years old.

WHAT’S a European’s skull doing inside an ancient Chinese tomb? The answer could expose a 1400-year-old story of exploration and trade.

A long way from home ... A skull found in a 1400-year-old Chinese tomb appears to belong to a man of European origins. Source: Xinhuanet

WHAT’S a European’s skull doing inside a 1400-year-old Chinese tomb? The answer could expose an ancient story of exploration and trade.

Tradition has it that intrepid explorer Marco Polo “discovered” China on behalf of the Europeans, but even he only went there because his uncle had already been. Marco’s book just happened to become a bestseller.

It was probably the Portuguese sea traders who made first direct contact in the “modern” world. But human migrations, movements and the quest for trade have been carving paths between east and west for millennia.

Now the remains of one of these early explorers may have been found inside a tomb in northwest China.

Traces of the past ... Excavations at this tomb near Guyuan City may cast new light on the ancient “Silk Road” trade route between China and the West. Source: Xinhuanet

Chinese media is carrying the story of an excavation near Guyuan City in China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

Finding a skull wasn’t unusual.

But this one didn’t fit.

Defining features ... Characteristics of a skull found in an ancient north-western China tomb indicate it belonged to a middle-aged European. Source: Xinhuanet

“The man had a protruding nasal bone and a sunk nasion, which are typical features of Europeans,” professor Zhang Quanchao of Jilin University said.

“If we can find his teeth and more bones, we will have a more precise judgment about his age,” he said.

For the moment, archaeologists are working on the theory that the skull was that of a 40-year-old male visitor from Europe.

Digging into the past ... Will further traces of East-West contact be found in tomb M1401 in China’s Ningxia region? Source: Xinhuanet

The tomb, which was discovered in the 1980s, was recently damaged in an illegal looting attempt. Official excavations of the site designated M1401 have since commenced.

Pictures released by state media show clay figures, copper coins and a series of colourful murals have so far been uncovered in the tomb which dates from the early Tang Dynasty (618 to 907AD).

The ancient “Silk Road” trade route which fed luxury goods through India, Pakistan, and the Middle East passes through the Ningxia region where the tomb was found.

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