Archaeologists recovered ancient DNA from the remains of a sixth-century Chinese emperor who was a ruler during the dark ages of the country and reconstructed the face of the king.

Emperor Wu ruled a part of the Northern Zhou dynasty in China. He is credited to have carried out the unification of ancient China's northern part during a chaotic period.

In 1996, archaeologists discovered a tomb in northwestern China. In a study which was published in the journal Current Biology on Thursday (Mar 28), the researchers studied the genetic material retrieved from his remains, which included an almost complete skull.

The archaeologists looked into the information to understand the monarch's appearance, health and ancestry.

According to the archaeologists, the emperor was part of a little-studied nomadic group known as the Xianbei and stayed in the area which today is a part of northern and northeastern China and Mongolia.

The experts analysed the genome sequenced from the DNA which suggested that Wu had black hair, brown eyes,&nbsp;and dark skin colour.

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In a press release, study co-author and an associate professor at Fudan University in Shanghai Shaoqing Wen said, “Some scholars said the Xianbei had ‘exotic’ looks, such as thick beard, high nose bridge, and yellow hair."

“Our analysis shows Emperor Wu had typical East or Northeast Asian facial characteristics," he added.

<h2>Archaeologists hope to decode king's cause of death</h2>

The experts have been hoping that the ancient DNA may also reveal the cause of the death of King Wu. As per the study, he died suddenly at age 36.

If his demise is explained, it will help historians rework historical texts around either illness or deliberate poisoning.

The team failed to discover any definitive evidence of the reason for his death. The researchers, however, said that they found a genetic susceptibility to stroke.

Ancient DNA techniques are being increasingly applied by archaeologists to find information regarding bones, teeth, artefacts and cave dirt.

The genetic information derived from the remains - which included the skull of Wu - was used by the team to imagine how he appeared and created a 3D facial reconstruction of the king.

Watch:&nbsp;Archaeologists try to unearth ‘India’s oldest temple’ in Madhya Pradesh

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Tobias Houlton, a lecturer in craniofacial identification and forensic imaging at the University of Dundee&nbsp;said, “The study … offers intriguing insights into the historical figure of Emperor Wu, with the facial approximation presented appearing convincingly realistic."

“(Skin, hair and eye) colour details are notably not possible to predict from skeletal remains alone, making genetic analysis an insightful tool," he added while speaking to CNN.

(With inputs from agencies)

Archaeologists recovered ancient DNA from the remains of a sixth-century Chinese emperor who was a ruler during the dark ages of the country and reconstructed the face of the king.

Archaeologists recovered ancient DNA from the remains of a sixth-century Chinese emperor who was a ruler during the dark ages of the country and reconstructed the face of the king. Emperor Wu ruled a part of the Northern Zhou dynasty in China. He is credited to have carried out the unification of ancient China's northern part during a chaotic period. In 1996, archaeologists discovered a tomb in northwestern China. In a study which was published in the journal Current Biology on Thursday (Mar 28), the researchers studied the genetic material retrieved from his remains, which included an almost complete skull. The archaeologists looked into the information to understand the monarch's appearance, health and ancestry. According to the archaeologists, the emperor was part of a little-studied nomadic group known as the Xianbei and stayed in the area which today is a part of northern and northeastern China and Mongolia. The experts analysed the genome sequenced from the DNA which suggested that Wu had black hair, brown eyes, and dark skin colour. Also Read: New DNA study suggests humans came to India from THIS country 50,000 years ago In a press release, study co-author and an associate professor at Fudan University in Shanghai Shaoqing Wen said, “Some scholars said the Xianbei had ‘exotic’ looks, such as thick beard, high nose bridge, and yellow hair." “Our analysis shows Emperor Wu had typical East or Northeast Asian facial characteristics," he added. Archaeologists hope to decode king's cause of death The experts have been hoping that the ancient DNA may also reveal the cause of the death of King Wu. As per the study, he died suddenly at age 36. If his demise is explained, it will help historians rework historical texts around either illness or deliberate poisoning. The team failed to discover any definitive evidence of the reason for his death. The researchers, however, said that they found a genetic susceptibility to stroke. Ancient DNA techniques are being increasingly applied by archaeologists to find information regarding bones, teeth, artefacts and cave dirt. The genetic information derived from the remains - which included the skull of Wu - was used by the team to imagine how he appeared and created a 3D facial reconstruction of the king. Watch: Archaeologists try to unearth ‘India’s oldest temple’ in Madhya Pradesh Tobias Houlton, a lecturer in craniofacial identification and forensic imaging at the University of Dundee said, “The study … offers intriguing insights into the historical figure of Emperor Wu, with the facial approximation presented appearing convincingly realistic." “(Skin, hair and eye) colour details are notably not possible to predict from skeletal remains alone, making genetic analysis an insightful tool," he added while speaking to CNN. (With inputs from agencies)

Archaeologists used ancient DNA to construct the face of the sixth-century Chinese emperor

The first emperor of a unified China, Qin Shi Huang was the founder of the Qin dynasty. He ruled China from 221 to 210 BC as the first "emperor" of the Qin dynasty. History books have mentioned that he didn't maintain the title of "king" borne by the previous Shang and Zhou rulers, he used the title of "emperor".&nbsp;

He died in 210 BC, but archaeologists are terrified of opening his tomb to this day, despite his&nbsp;being buried over 2,200 years ago.&nbsp;

The tomb of Qin Shu Huang is guarded by a terracotta army of soldiers and horses. It was discovered by farmers in 1974 in the Shaanxi province of China.&nbsp;

While archaeologists have explored the area, the tomb remains&nbsp;a mystery, and for&nbsp;good reason.&nbsp;

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A report by IFL Science published on July 29 says that the archaeologists believe the tomb will cause damage. There are also rumours that it contains deadly booby traps that could kill whoever tries to enter.&nbsp;

The report mentioned that over 100 years after Qin Shu Huang's death, writings by Chinese historian Sima Qian claimed: "Palaces and scenic towers for a hundred officials were constructed and the tomb was filled with rare artefacts and wonderful treasure".&nbsp;

"Craftsmen were ordered to make crossbows and arrows primed to shoot at anyone who enters the tomb. Mercury was used to simulate the hundred rivers, the Yangtze and Yellow River, and the great sea, and set to flow mechanically," he continued.&nbsp;

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Forget the alleged crossbows,&nbsp;because even if they&nbsp;fail&nbsp;after such a long time, some reports say that there are still fears of liquid mercury seeping through the cracks.&nbsp;

A paper published in 2020 suggested&nbsp;that "highly volatile mercury may be escaping through cracks, which developed in the structure over time, and our investigation supports ancient chronicle records on the tomb, which is believed never to have been opened/looted".&nbsp;

Some scientists have reportedly floated the idea of using non-invasive techniques to open the tomb, but what might happen after that, no one can tell.

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The first emperor of a unified China, Qin Shi Huang was the founder of the Qin dynasty. He ruled China from 221 to 210 BC as the first "emperor" of the Qin dynasty.

The first emperor of a unified China, Qin Shi Huang was the founder of the Qin dynasty. He ruled China from 221 to 210 BC as the first "emperor" of the Qin dynasty. History books have mentioned that he didn't maintain the title of "king" borne by the previous Shang and Zhou rulers, he used the title of "emperor". He died in 210 BC, but archaeologists are terrified of opening his tomb to this day, despite his being buried over 2,200 years ago. The tomb of Qin Shu Huang is guarded by a terracotta army of soldiers and horses. It was discovered by farmers in 1974 in the Shaanxi province of China. While archaeologists have explored the area, the tomb remains a mystery, and for good reason. Also read: Scientists in Alaska discover fossil of tiny ‘ice mouse’ that lived 73 million years ago A report by IFL Science published on July 29 says that the archaeologists believe the tomb will cause damage. There are also rumours that it contains deadly booby traps that could kill whoever tries to enter. The report mentioned that over 100 years after Qin Shu Huang's death, writings by Chinese historian Sima Qian claimed: "Palaces and scenic towers for a hundred officials were constructed and the tomb was filled with rare artefacts and wonderful treasure". "Craftsmen were ordered to make crossbows and arrows primed to shoot at anyone who enters the tomb. Mercury was used to simulate the hundred rivers, the Yangtze and Yellow River, and the great sea, and set to flow mechanically," he continued. Also read: Cyprus to use human Covid vaccine to save cat population from fatal coronavirus strain Forget the alleged crossbows, because even if they fail after such a long time, some reports say that there are still fears of liquid mercury seeping through the cracks. A paper published in 2020 suggested that "highly volatile mercury may be escaping through cracks, which developed in the structure over time, and our investigation supports ancient chronicle records on the tomb, which is believed never to have been opened/looted". Some scientists have reportedly floated the idea of using non-invasive techniques to open the tomb, but what might happen after that, no one can tell. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Deadly 'booby traps' among reasons why archaeologists are scared to open tomb of Chinese emperor

A four-inch tall soapstone seal unearthed from the possession of a deceased ambassador who spent his retirement seeking Imperial China antiques in Britain's auction houses and private collections was sold for nearly £15 million.

During the 1950s and 1960s, Dr Wou Kiuan, who died in 1997 and worked in the Chinese Embassy in London before retiring to the UK, amassed a collection of over 1,000 items.

In 1965, he purchased the seal, a carving done for the Qianlong Emperor in the 18th century.&nbsp;

It had been lost since the early twentieth century upheaval in China, when a republican revolution ended 2,000 years of imperial authority.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/largest-ever-black-diamond-fetches-43-million-in-sotheby-auction-451790">Also read | Largest ever black diamond fetches 4.3 million in Sotheby auction</a>

Wou Kiuan's collection is presently being sold by his family.

The seal was expected to fetch £5 million but ended up fetching three times that, breaking the world record for a seal in Asia.

In the West, seals were used to encase letters and other documents in wax, but in China, they replaced signatures and other forms of permission.

They used paste or ink to make an impression. 'It was like an electric jolt,' said Nicolas Chow of auctioneer Sotheby's, when he first saw the soapstone seal in the Wou collection.

The buyer was not identified, but the price of Chinese art has soared in the last 15 years as increasingly wealthy Chinese reclaim their lost history. 
&nbsp;

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A four-inch tall soapstone seal unearthed from the possession of a deceased ambassador who spent his retirement seeking Imperial China antiques in Britain's auction houses and private collections was sold for nearly £15 million.

A four-inch tall soapstone seal unearthed from the possession of a deceased ambassador who spent his retirement seeking Imperial China antiques in Britain's auction houses and private collections was sold for nearly £15 million. During the 1950s and 1960s, Dr Wou Kiuan, who died in 1997 and worked in the Chinese Embassy in London before retiring to the UK, amassed a collection of over 1,000 items. In 1965, he purchased the seal, a carving done for the Qianlong Emperor in the 18th century. It had been lost since the early twentieth century upheaval in China, when a republican revolution ended 2,000 years of imperial authority. Also read | Largest ever black diamond fetches 4.3 million in Sotheby auction Wou Kiuan's collection is presently being sold by his family. The seal was expected to fetch £5 million but ended up fetching three times that, breaking the world record for a seal in Asia. In the West, seals were used to encase letters and other documents in wax, but in China, they replaced signatures and other forms of permission. They used paste or ink to make an impression. 'It was like an electric jolt,' said Nicolas Chow of auctioneer Sotheby's, when he first saw the soapstone seal in the Wou collection. The buyer was not identified, but the price of Chinese art has soared in the last 15 years as increasingly wealthy Chinese reclaim their lost history. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Seal of Chinese emperor fetches £15 million at auction in Hong Kong

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Archaeologists used ancient DNA to construct the face of the sixth-century Chinese emperor

Deadly 'booby traps' among reasons why archaeologists are scared to open tomb of Chinese emperor

Seal of Chinese emperor fetches £15 million at auction in Hong Kong