The Mummies of Urumchi - Couverture rigide

Barber, Elizabeth Wayland

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 0393045218 ISBN 13 : 9780393045215

Editeur : WW Norton & Co, 1999

Synopsis

A fascinating exploration of the mysterious, perfectly preserved Caucasian mummies of western China. In the museums of år?mchi, the windswept regional capital of the Uyghur Autonomous Region in Western China-what we know as Chinese Turkestan-a collection of ancient mummies lay at the center of an enormous mystery. Some of år?mchi's mummies date back as far as 4,000 years-contemporary to the famous Egyptian mummies, but even more beautifully preserved, especially their clothing. Surprisingly, these prehistoric people are not Oriental but Caucasian-tall and large-nosed and blond with round eyes (probably blue). Where did they come from? What were these blonds doing in the foothills of the Himalayas? Few gifts are put into the graves of the dead, making it difficult for archaeologists to pinpoint any cultural connections from clues offered by their pottery and tools. But their clothing-woolens that rarely survive more than a few centuries-has been preserved as brightly hued as the day each was made. Elizabeth Wayland Barber describes these remarkable mummies, their clothing, and the world to which they so mysteriously belonged, piecing together their history and peculiar Western connections both from what she saw in år?mchi and from the testimony of those who explored along the Silk Road centuries earlier. The result is an entertaining and informative unveiling of an ancient and exotic world.

A propos du livre

À propos de l?auteur

Elizabeth Wayland Barber is the author of Prehistoric Textiles, The Mummies of Ürümchi, and The Dancing Goddesses, among other works. She is professor emerita of archaeology and linguistics at Occidental College, and lives in Utah.

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: WW Norton & Co
• Date d'édition: 1999
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 0393045218
• ISBN 13: 9780393045215
• Reliure: Relié
• Numéro d'édition: 1
• Nombre de pages: 240
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible
• Personne responsable: non disponible