Yingpan man
40°58′34″N 87°49′46″E / 40.976170°N 87.829557°E
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The Yingpan man (Chinese: 营盘美男) is an ancient mummy which was excavated in the Yingpan cemetery located in the northeastern Tarim Basin. The mummy was 1.98 m (6 feet 6 inches) tall,[1] and dates to the fourth or fifth centuries CE.[2] The deceased was wearing luxurious clothes decorated with Hellenistic motifs.[2][3][4][5]
The Yingpan man may have been a Sogdian[6] or more probably an elite member of the Shanshan Kingdom nearby.[2][1]
The mummy is located in the Xinjiang Museum.
Identity and dating
[edit]The man who became known as Yingpan Man lived during the fourth or fifth century CE, approximately 1,500–1,700 years ago, and was buried in the Yingpan cemetery near the ancient oasis settlement of Yingpan in the northeastern Tarim Basin, in what is now Xinjiang, China.[1] Standing approximately 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) tall, he was unusually tall for his time and remains one of the most striking individuals discovered among the Tarim mummies.[1]
The identity of Yingpan Man has been debated since his discovery. The richness of his burial and the exceptional quality of his clothing indicate that he belonged to the social elite.[2][6] Some scholars have suggested that he may have been a member of the Sogdians, an Iranian people who played a major role in trade and cultural exchange along the Silk Road.[6] Others have argued that he was more likely a wealthy member of the Shanshan Kingdom, an oasis state centred on the southern rim of the Tarim Basin that controlled important routes across the Silk Road during late antiquity.[2][1]
Scientific studies have provided additional evidence about his background. Analysis of chemical signatures preserved in his remains suggests that he spent most of his childhood and adult life in the Tarim Basin rather than arriving from a distant region shortly before his death.[1]
Although his precise origins and cultural identity remain uncertain, Yingpan Man is widely regarded as an example of the cultural diversity and international connections that characterized the Silk Road during the fourth and fifth centuries CE.[1][6]
Gallery
[edit]
General area of the Tarim mummies ( ) with main burial sites, including Yingpan.
Hellenistic motifs on the dress of the Yingpan man
Hellenistic motifs on the dress of the Yingpan man
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References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Wang, Tingting; Fuller, Benjamin T.; Jiang, Hongen; Li, Wenying; Wei, Dong; Hu, Yaowu (13 January 2022). "Revealing lost secrets about Yingpan Man and the Silk Road". Scientific Reports. 12 (1): 669. Bibcode:2022NatSR..12..669W. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-04383-5. ISSN 2045-2322. PMC 8758759. PMID 35027587.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Cheang, Sarah; Greef, Erica de; Takagi, Yoko (15 July 2021). Rethinking Fashion Globalization. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 101. ISBN 978-1-350-18130-4.
- ↑ Puigdevall, Federico (15 December 2017). The Secrets of Ancient Tombs: Tutankhamun's Tomb and Other Ancient Tombs. Cavendish Square Publishing, LLC. p. 88. ISBN 978-1-5026-3263-0.
- ↑ Schoeser, Mary (6 October 2022). World Textiles. Thames & Hudson. p. 127. ISBN 978-0-500-77779-4.
- ↑ Mierse, William E. (31 December 2022). Artifacts from the Ancient Silk Road. ABC-CLIO. p. 67. ISBN 978-1-4408-5829-1.
- 1 2 3 4 "Yingpan Man". Art and Architecture of the Middle Ages: Exploring a Connected World. Retrieved 7 June 2026.