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Reconstructed face of Emperor Wu

Photo: Pianpian Wei / dpa

Brown eyes, black hair and a rather dark complexion: a Chinese research group has reconstructed the face of the 6th century Chinese Emperor Wu. As the scientists report in the journal “Current Biology,” they used DNA traces from his grave. They also help solve the mystery of his untimely death.

Emperor Wu (543-578) was an influential ruler of the so-called Northern Zhou Dynasty. Among other things, he reorganized the military and unified the northern part of ancient China after his troops destroyed a rival dynasty in 577.

Almost completely preserved skull

Wu's actual name was Yuwen Yong and his ethnicity was Xianbei. This ancient nomadic group lived in what is now Mongolia and northern and northeastern China. "Some scholars said the Xianbei had an 'exotic' appearance, such as a thick beard, a high bridge of the nose and yellow hair," said study author Shaoqing Wen of Fudan University in Shanghai in a statement. "Our analysis shows that Emperor Wu had typical East or Northeast Asian facial features."

The analysis was made possible by finds from the ruler's tomb in northwest China. Archaeologists found his bones there, including the almost completely preserved skull. From the remains of the genetic material, they obtained information about Emperor Wu's skin and hair color and, together with the skull, reconstructed his face in three dimensions. The result shows that his facial features were similar to those of modern-day people from North and East Asia.

“Our work has brought historical figures to life,” comments co-author Pianpian Wei. »Until now, you had to rely on historical records or wall paintings to get an idea of ​​what ancient people looked like. We are able to directly show the appearance of the Xianbei people.”

Impaired speech and drooping eyelids

The DNA analyzes also provide evidence of the ruler's early death: Emperor Wu died in his mid-thirties; His son and successor Yuwen Yun also died at a young age for unknown reasons. While some scientists believe the cause of death was illness, others suspect Wu was poisoned by a rival.

The research group now discovered in the genetic remains that the monarch had an increased risk of a stroke. A stroke would fit with historical records that said Wu struggled with speech problems and drooping eyelids, as well as an abnormal gait.

msk/dpa