đ§ Ancient Beat #57: Savvy princesses, bubbling wine fountains, and Denisovan faces
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You may or may not know of the Xiongnu culture that ruled modern-day Mongolia between 200 BCE and 100 CE â theyâre the nomads whose relentless attacks inspired the construction of the Great Wall of China. Well, a new study that combined genetics and archaeology found that princesses were key players when it came to building multiethnic alliances and growing their empire. Back in 2007, two cemeteries were discovered on the edge of the Xiongnu empire. The deepest and richest tombs, which included gold discs, an Egyptian glazed ceramic bead, bronze chariot pieces, horse tack, and sacrificed animals, contained females; not males. Even their wood coffins would have had to be imported from hundreds of miles away, so they werenât messing around â these women seem to have held the highest positions of power in the region. And interestingly, they were closely related to people from the core of the empire. According to Bryan Miller, âWhen you go out to the edge of the empire, it seems like women are the only ones with ties to royal lineages. Weâre seeing long-distance, broad-scale alliances.â In other words, the research indicates that the Xiongnu sent female relatives to seal alliances with leaders. And they werenât passive pawns in the process. The grave goods mentioned above, many of which were associated with power, indicate that these princesses would have taken an active hand in this process. According to Bayarsaikhan Jamsranjav, âIf you want to rule a bigger area, you have to put a trusted person in place. Theyâre controlling local elites through these princesses.â
đ§ Ancient Beat #57: Savvy princesses, bubbling wine fountains, and Denisovan faces
đ§ Ancient Beat #57: Savvy princessesâŠ
đ§ Ancient Beat #57: Savvy princesses, bubbling wine fountains, and Denisovan faces
You may or may not know of the Xiongnu culture that ruled modern-day Mongolia between 200 BCE and 100 CE â theyâre the nomads whose relentless attacks inspired the construction of the Great Wall of China. Well, a new study that combined genetics and archaeology found that princesses were key players when it came to building multiethnic alliances and growing their empire. Back in 2007, two cemeteries were discovered on the edge of the Xiongnu empire. The deepest and richest tombs, which included gold discs, an Egyptian glazed ceramic bead, bronze chariot pieces, horse tack, and sacrificed animals, contained females; not males. Even their wood coffins would have had to be imported from hundreds of miles away, so they werenât messing around â these women seem to have held the highest positions of power in the region. And interestingly, they were closely related to people from the core of the empire. According to Bryan Miller, âWhen you go out to the edge of the empire, it seems like women are the only ones with ties to royal lineages. Weâre seeing long-distance, broad-scale alliances.â In other words, the research indicates that the Xiongnu sent female relatives to seal alliances with leaders. And they werenât passive pawns in the process. The grave goods mentioned above, many of which were associated with power, indicate that these princesses would have taken an active hand in this process. According to Bayarsaikhan Jamsranjav, âIf you want to rule a bigger area, you have to put a trusted person in place. Theyâre controlling local elites through these princesses.â