Romans in Han Dynasty

what i said before in the other post about the romans in china. here is some evidence to back up my theroy.:

Telegraph.co.uk

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


Villager Cai Junnian with his green eyes and ruddy complexion

Scientists have taken blood samples from 93 people living in and around Liqian, a settlement in north-western China on the fringes of the Gobi desert, more than 200 miles 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 blonde hair — mixed with traditional Chinese features.

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

the red dots indicate roman towns



the map shows the route of how some romans may have got there

everything2.com...

Roman Legionaries in China

(idea) by Wintersweet (4.8 mon) (print) ? 5 C!s Fri Sep 22 2000 at 17:07:34
Two thousand years ago, a band of Roman soldiers were among the lone survivors of a devastating battle against the Parthians. The battle itself is a matter of historical record: the Roman army, led by Marcus Licinius Crassus (part of the First Triumvirate along with Julius Caesar and Pompey), was defeated by a Parthian army

any thoughts?



Mod Note: Big Quote – Please Review This Link.

Mod Note: No Quote/Plagiarism – Please Review This Link.

Mod Note: New External Source Tags – Please Review This Link.



[edit on 19-9-2007 by Jbird]

Very interesting. I first thought maybe these features could have brought there by turkish/turkified nomads whom returned to central asia after the series of turkic invasions europe.

It could be possible -- the ancients got around much more than we give them credit for. The Romans were aware of China; I believe it was called Serica by them.

However, 2000 years is an awfully long time for recessive genes to remain in the gene pool. I admit my knowledge of genetics is nowhere near complete, but after 2000 years you'd think that the Roman genes would have been overwhelmed by the Chinese genes, considering they were isolated from the Roman source.

It will be very interesting to see what comes of the DNA testing.

Great post sonicX007, ive come across some evidence myself that i believe points to European interaction in that part of China. here are some links that you might find interesting.

news.nationalgeographic

Human remains found in a 1,400-year-old Chinese tomb belonged to a man of European origin, DNA evidence shows.
Chinese scientists who analyzed the DNA of the remains say the man, named Yu Hong, belonged to one of the oldest genetic groups from western Eurasia.

news.nationalgeographic

"Was it just this one man [who moved into the area], or was it a large family including this man, or was it an even larger group of people from his ancestral population?" she asked.
Overall, she said, "the study of ancient mitochondrial DNA, as well as other genomic variations, holds great promise for enhancing our understanding of human prehistory."

I made some tenous connections to the arrival of Europeans via the silk road in this post, you may find it interesting as it ties in quite nicely with your theory. There are a lot of other links and maps.

Chinese writing '8,000 years old' found.

library.thinkquest

The Silk Road is the most well-known trading route of ancient Chinese civilization. Trade in silk grew under the Han Dynasty ( 202 BC - AD 220) in the first and second centuries AD

Well done on an excellent post, i'll be keeping a close eye on this thread and will add anything i think may be of benefit to your research.

Cheers mojo.

(edit to fix linky )

[edit on 11/9/07 by mojo4sale]

I can't think of any reason this can't be true; it is certainly plausible to me. I guess we will have to wait for the DNA tests to know whether it is true or not.

Fantastic thread and a fascinating topic. I haven't studied anything gene-related since my first stint in college, and even then it was very basic. Would be great if someone 'did the math' and presented the odds of this story being true from a genetic standpoint.

There was a Greek dynasty in Afghanistan established by the soldiers of Alexander the Great in and around 300 BC, after his conquest of the area as far south as the the Indus. And that area really isn't that far away from China. Add to that the constant back and forth along the silk road and there are plenty of chances of inter-breeding. It doesn't take a lost army to do it.

reply to post by sonicX007


what is your source. in not discrediting anything i just want to know

reply to post by sonicX007


I've believed in this theory of the Romans being in China for many years.I have some evidence from ancient sourses,but i couldn't fit all the quotes in here,so i've started another thread to help back up the theory that Romans were in China and settled there,as other peoples have done throughout history.hope you don't mind


Though such a gap may be wide,its still possible for the genes to be affected in later generations.In Italy,mainly the south,children can still be born with blonde/red hair and light coloured eyes;a remenant of when the Vikings invaded and settled there.The same thing occurs in many of the countries that border the Mediterranean Sea.Though in countries such as Turkey and Egypt,it is the red hair gene that has been passed down.(though not from vikings,but earlier traders,soldiers etc of celt and germanic origin.)

Also,if a people are isolated,would that not mean their genes are less diluted????









[edit on 14-9-2007 by jakyll]

as you can prob see i am not a frequent vistor to the site. just wanted to say thank you for the comments