A painting of a Mongolian funeral ceremony in the Arjai caves in North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region might depict Genghis Khan's funeral.
The mural in one of the caves at the Arjai Grotto is about 20 inches long and 14 inches wide, the Xinhua News Agency reported Tuesday.
The painting depicts a Mongolian funeral where a man is held above a funeral pit by white cranes, said Pan Zhaodong, a researcher from the Social Science Academy of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
One well-dressed onlooker could very well be the prince who accompanied Genghis Khan to take over the Western Xia regime, while the other two are monks, Zhaodong told Xinhua. One of the monks is on his knees and appears to be praying, said the researcher
This is the whole report. While reading this I also couldn't help but think of the stories I've heard about Attila the Hun and others whose burial has not been found. One would think that people would be looking harder!
The Chinese are very guarded about their finds. They describe the picture in some detail but don't distribute a photo.
Tantalizing, though.
THey are sitting on a gigantic trove of archaeology!
Sitting might be right Stan. Once again I have to apologise for not being able to quote sources, but I recall that some years ago a 'leading Chinese official' stated that there was often a reluctance towards disturbing sites for fear of angering dragons. What can I say?
Digit,
The Chinese have been through a lot of turbulent times, and the "government" has abruptly changed directions several times without, of course, consulting anyone but the old men who run the place.
I imagine the scientists have to be careful of running afoul of the
authorities and have learned to be cautious in their public utterances.
I wonder if mention of dragons is still approved in public statements??
Probably depends on whether they are socialist dragons or not. Going by the way some farmers in China are now actively recovering fossils some at least have moved on, or aquired some dragon insurance.
Stan/Digit, you're both right I think, and when Chinese archaeology is open for the world to explore I think there are important mysteries about human evolution and ancient history to be gleaned.
"Peking Man" bones being lost ranks up there with the burning of the Mayan books IMO.
my first remote controlled car (age 5) the loss to science was unimaginable
I lost a wooden train set off my father's boat in the Columbia River at age 4 ... although devastating at the time I am reconciled by believing that millions of years from now someone will discover a petrified train which provided transport for a midget hominid in the distant past (obviously, a hobbit discovery).
