Chinese Villagers Descended From Lost Romans

[Suki]

RESIDENTS of a remote Chinese village are hoping DNA tests will prove one of history's most unlikely legends, that they are descended from Roman legionaries lost in antiquity.

Scientists have taken blood samples from 93 people living around Liqian, a settlement in north-western China on the fringes of the Gobi Desert, more than 300 kilometres from the nearest city.

They are seeking an explanation for the unusual number of local people with Western characteristics - green eyes, big noses, and even blond hair - mixed with traditional Chinese features.

"I really think we are descended from the Romans," said Song Guorong, 48, who with his wavy hair, 1.8-metre frame and strikingly long, hooked nose stands out from his short, round-faced colleagues.


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Link (http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/dna-tests-for-chinas-legionary-lore/2007/02/02/1169919531024.html)

This is most intriguing I must say, but most likely, they're Slavic descent.

[HSaabedra]

Those features do sound more Slavic than anything else. Romans are generally olive skinned with dark hair and features.

[Old Ape Face]

Well i would say their story makes sense to a point, first of all before western civilization humanity was on a migration pattern out of southeastern asia. somehow there must have be a separate group who made it to western asia. geographically.

Genealogically all humans have the same Genomes, technically we're all from the same group of homo sapiens.

what I don't understand from this is that those characteristics are regional there characteristics didn't change until after they separated.

[KatayokuのTenshi]

I'm no history expert (that's Bernard) I was under the impression that Romans of that era were rather short?

[Leader Desslock]

Do you suppose the Lost Tribe of Israelites waved hello to the Romans on their way through China to settle Japan?

[Bernard_Monsha]

Do you suppose the Lost Tribe of Israelites waved hello to the Romans on their way through China to settle Japan?

No they were liveing in China and they kicked them out in 1230 AD as part of a plot by the Romanov's to erase evidence of Xenu!

[CrossboneGundam]

Well i would say their story makes sense to a point, first of all before western civilization humanity was on a migration pattern out of southeastern asia. somehow there must have be a separate group who made it to western asia. geographically.

Genealogically all humans have the same Genomes, technically we're all from the same group of homo sapiens.

what I don't understand from this is that those characteristics are regional there characteristics didn't change until after they separated.

...What? Human migration went out of Africa to the Northeast, and then primarily Eastward.

The people who went on to Europe were from the Central Asian steppe, where people had been for thousands of years before some headed West. At that point, people had already settled most of South and East Asia.

And thank you for stating an obvious fact that everyone is already aware of (humans all share human DNA and are the same species, lol.)

At any rate, records from the Tang dynasty (circa 900 AD,) mention people with what would commonly be called "nordic" or "slavic" features living in Tang cities, so it's not as if overland migration on the Silk Road in both directions didn't exist.

[Leader Desslock]

... living in Tang cities...
My inner Homer Simpson just imagined people living in orange cities ruled by astronauts, all devoted to vitamin-C packed breakfast drinks...

[CrossboneGundam]

My inner Homer Simpson just imagined people living in orange cities ruled by astronauts, all devoted to vitamin-C packed breakfast drinks...

:lol:

Shouldn't they be Orangutan astronauts?

[Old Ape Face]

...What? Human migration went out of Africa to the Northeast, and then primarily Eastward.

The people who went on to Europe were from the Central Asian steppe, where people had been for thousands of years before some headed West. At that point, people had already settled most of South and East Asia.

And thank you for stating an obvious fact that everyone is already aware of (humans all share human DNA and are the same species, lol.)

At any rate, records from the Tang dynasty (circa 900 AD,) mention people with what would commonly be called "nordic" or "slavic" features living in Tang cities, so it's not as if overland migration on the Silk Road in both directions didn't exist.

well my title was Master of the Obvious at one point in time. :lol:

[sailornyanko]

Arrgggghhhh.. No images??!!!! I'd love to see a natural blonde chinese person. It could be great tourism. I'm sure a lot of people would be curious to see (Roman?) blondes. Hahaha.

I remember reading somewhere that the average height of Roman soldiers in their day was pretty average, about 5'5. Some of them made it to be 6 feet tall before the famines of the Middle Age made people shorter.

[CrossboneGundam]

Arrgggghhhh.. No images??!!!! I'd love to see a natural blonde chinese person. It could be great tourism. I'm sure a lot of people would be curious to see (Roman?) blondes. Hahaha.

I remember reading somewhere that the average height of Roman soldiers in their day was pretty average, about 5'5. Some of them made it to be 6 feet tall before the famines of the Middle Age made people shorter.

I don't think anyone's going to spend thousands of dollars to go to China just because they saw a picture of someone with blonde hair living there.

[Evil_Koala]

I don't think anyone's going to spend thousands of dollars to go to China just because they saw a picture of someone with blonde hair living there.

I would. That'd be ballin, son. A white dude...IN CHINA (Who isn't a total nerd)

[Bernard_Monsha]

Arrgggghhhh.. No images??!!!! I'd love to see a natural blonde chinese person. It could be great tourism. I'm sure a lot of people would be curious to see (Roman?) blondes. Hahaha.

I remember reading somewhere that the average height of Roman soldiers in their day was pretty average, about 5'5. Some of them made it to be 6 feet tall before the famines of the Middle Age made people shorter.



Romans were olive complected and dark haired much like the majority of Italians today with the exception of northern Italy which was settled by Germanic tribes like the Lombards.

Romans were actually taller at 5'5 than most of the Eastern and new world. Europeans grew bigger because their staple grain (wheat) has a higher protien and fat content than other staples like rice and corn. Europe is also blessed with several kinds of grain like oats, barley, millet, rye, and buckwheat which are rare or absent in other places around the world. The actual groth spurt did not come around until the 17th century when improvement in farming, storage, and distrabution made it easier to get food in most places.

[sailornyanko]

I would. That'd be ballin, son. A white dude...IN CHINA (Who isn't a total nerd)

I would too if I were already in the country for x reason, like in a place like Beijing. Everything is so damn cheap in those rural places that I could easily spare two days. It would really help the local economy of those humble villages.

*Looks at Bernie's post. Oooh! And who said books were for losers! I didn't know all that!
Mmm Buckwheat, I love that stuff. Too bad you can't get it where I live. Buckwheat is the best stuff ever to make pancakes with.

[kenshinbebop]

How bout them eunuch chinese corpses?