Mysterious White Chinese May Be Related To Ancient Roman Soldiers – Did Marcus Crassus’ Army Settle Down In The Gobi Desert?

Ellen Lloyd - AncientPages.com - On the edge of the Gobi Desert in China, there is a fascinating group of people who are entirely different from other Chinese.

Known as the White Chinese, these people have blue or green eyes, and many are blonde. How did their ancestors end up in China? Where did they come from?

An interesting theory suggests the White Chinese may be related to ancient Romans who settled in the area a long time ago.

Evidence that supports this theory comes from DNA tests and ancient Chinese texts.

Ancient White Chinese And Their Connection To Roman General Marcus Crassus

When scientists learned about the White Chinese, they became curious and decided to learn more about how and when the ancestors of these people reached China.

DNA tests on some of the White Chinese who live in the village of Liqian, on the outskirts of the Gobi Desert, showed these people are 56% Caucasian. They have European blood, and there is reason to think they are related to ancient Romans.

Marcus Licinius Crassus (c. 115 B.C. —53 BC.) Diagram Lajard - Public Domain

In the 1950s, Homer Dubs, a professor at Oxford University, presented his theory stating that after the Battle of Carrhae in 53 B.C. between an army led by Marcus Crassus, a Roman general, and a more significant force of Parthians, the Roman Empire's eastwards expansion came to an abrupt halt.

Like their neighbors, the Scythians often succeeded in battle due to their use of horse archers. Roman-Parthian wars lasted long because the Parthians were hard to defeat.

Marcus Licinius Crassus (c. 115 B.C. —53 BC.)  used Syria as the launchpad for a military campaign against the Parthian Empire, Rome's long-time Eastern enemy.

The Parthian people had established an empire that lasted almost 500 years, from the mid-3rd century BC until 224 CE. Their kingdom was the most lasting of all of the ancient Near East. Crassus' military campaign was a disastrous failure, resulting in his defeat and death at the Battle of Carrhae.

The Battle of Carrhae cost the lives of thousands of Roman soldiers. Credit: Adobe Stock - Sue Colvil

Whether Crassus died fighting or committed suicide to prevent being captured is unknown. The rumor about "dying from drinking molten gold" can be traced to historian Cassius Dio, who wrote that having discovered his body, the enemy "poured molten gold into his mouth in mockery for he had set great store by money."

When Romans lost the Battle of Carrhae, some legionaries were said to have escaped the fighting and marched east to elude the enemy. They supposedly fought as mercenaries in a war between the Huns and the Chinese in 36 B.C. In ancient Chinese texts, there are accounts of capturing a "fish-scale formation" of troops, a possible reference to the "tortoise" phalanx formation perfected by legionaries.

Historians think the wandering Roman soldiers were eventually released and settled on the steppes of western China. Some experts dismiss the Chinese-Roman connection and suggest the White Chinese descended from the armies of Huns that marauded through central Asia, which included soldiers of Caucasian origin.

Archaeological Evidence Ancient Romans Visited And Stayed In China?

If the Chinese were in contact with ancient Roman soldiers who decided to stay in the Gobi Desert, there should be some archaeological evidence. We should be able to find ancient Roman forts or other structures and artifacts of Roman origin. Archaeologists are excavating in the area, looking for clues and solid evidence that can shed more light on this ancient mystery.

Victor H. Mair - The Tarim Mummies: Ancient China and the Mystery of the Earliest - read more

So far, scientists have not discovered any ancient Roman artifacts in the region.

Still, other findings clearly show white people from Europe were present in the Gobi Desert and neighboring areas.

Beauty Of Loulan And The Tarim Mummies Of China

One of the most striking archaeological findings was the discovery of a Northern European tribe in the northeast corner of Xinjiang province, near the Celestial Mountains and the Takla Makan Desert on the edge of the Gobi Desert. There is a whole ancient world buried under the vast Taklamakan Desert, and archaeologists are beginning to discover some of the secrets that have been hidden in this mysterious region.

In 1900, Swedish archaeologist Sven Hedin discovered ruins of the ancient city Loulan, buried under the sand.

In 1910, ten years after Loulan was found, a local hunter discovered a tomb near a creek 175 kilometers away from Loulan.

Cai Junnian lives in Liqian. His green eyes give a hint he may be a descendant of Roman mercenaries who allegedly fought the Han Chinese 2,000 years ago Photo: Natalie Behring

It was named the "creek tomb." It was built using more than 100 wooden poles erected on a dune. The tomb is considered one of the most intriguing mysteries of ancient Asian civilization. Chinese experts say it belongs to the early Bronze Age, whose history in Xinjiang stretches back to 4,000 years ago.

Half a century later, in 1979, a female corpse dating back nearly 4,000 years was discovered in Loulan. The corpse was well preserved and nicknamed the "Beauty of Loulan."

At a place called Qizilchoqa, or, as the local people called it, Red Hill, researchers found a grave with unusual mummies that were still well-preserved.

The mummies were never embalmed. Ancient people placed the corpses on the ground, and the dead bodies were subjected to a unique weather system - heat, aridity, and bitter winter cold mixed with salty soil.

The mummy was nicknamed the "Beauty of Loulan". To the right is her face as reconstructed by an artist.

They were in such good condition that their clothes were in excellent condition.

As many as 113 mummies were recovered at the site. Examinations revealed these people had blonde hair, big eyes, and European noses. They became known as the Tarim mummies.

These people were once members of an advanced ancient civilization. The women had artificial extensions in their hair, and scars on their bodies showed they had rudimentary operating skills.

In 1993, Italian genetics examined the bodies and could confirm these people were from the Bronze Age, they were Caucasian, and it is possible that they interacted with the indigenous people at that time. The Tarim mummies are about 4,000 years old, and the youngest at about 2,000.

4,000-year-old Tarim mummies. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

An artist's impression of what this mummy possibly looked like when alive. Credit: Fair Use

The true identity of the Tarim race is unknown, but historians and archaeologists think these remarkable people were probably Scandinavian or German. Why they came to China 4,000 years ago is a mystery, but they likely interacted with the Chinese.

So, the White Chinese living on the edge of the Gobi Desert may have ancestors from Scandinavia or Germany. The theory that ancient Roman soldiers settled in the region is naturally intriguing but needs to be backed up by archaeological evidence.

Updated on November 8, 2023

Written by - Ellen Lloyd – AncientPages.com 

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