At a glance
- When
- the Bronze Age, about 2100 to 1700 BCE for the Xiaohe cemetery
- Where
- the Tarim Basin in Xinjiang, northwestern China
- Entries in our catalogue
- 35 (20 individual genomes)
- Countries of the finds
- 1
What ancient DNA shows
A 2021 study in Nature sequenced the earliest Tarim Basin individuals and found that they descended mainly from an Ancient North Eurasian related population, also seen in Pleistocene Siberians, which had been genetically isolated for a long time. They carried no detectable ancestry from the Yamnaya or Afanasievo herders of the steppe, which contradicts the idea that they were early speakers of the Tocharian languages arriving from the west.
The same study found that Bronze Age people of the neighbouring Dzungarian Basin did carry Afanasievo ancestry, so steppe herders lived nearby. The Tarim people were genetically isolated but culturally open: they grew wheat and millet and used dairy products, practices that came from outside the basin.
Their genetic legacy today
The isolated Bronze Age Tarim population left little detectable ancestry in present-day people of Xinjiang, whose ancestry comes mostly from later arrivals from the steppe, Central Asia and East Asia.
Tarim Mummies samples in the MYDNATLAS catalogue
Our ancient DNA catalogue holds 35 entries whose culture label names the Tarim Mummies. 20 of them are individual genomes; the others are reference entries, such as averages of several individuals, and samples flagged as outliers. Half of the 33 dated entries fall between 1,950 BCE and 1,743 BCE, with a median of 1,800 BCE.
Where they were found
| Country | Entries |
|---|---|
| China | 35 |
Most common labels
| Label | Entries |
|---|---|
| Xiaohe (Tarim Mummies) | 14 |
| Tarim Basin Culture (China) | 10 |
| Bronze Age Xiaohe Culture (Xinjiang) | 4 |
| Tarim Basin (China) | 4 |
| Ancient Tarim | 1 |
| Tarim Basin | 1 |
Measured from the live catalogue on 2026-10-17. Dates are those recorded for each entry; the archaeological dates of the culture are given above. See our data sources for where the samples come from.
Compare your DNA with the Tarim Mummies
To see how close you sit to Tarim Mummies samples, you need your DNA as G25 coordinates. Download your raw data file from your testing company, convert it, and MYDNATLAS compares your coordinates with these entries and the rest of the catalogue, period by period, in its closest population and mixture tools.
- Download your raw DNA file: step by step for each testing company.
- Upload it from 23andMe, AncestryDNA, MyHeritage or FamilyTreeDNA, or another supported provider.
- Explore the results with the period by period breakdown and closest populations.
Start free: browse the Population Encyclopedia. The Population Encyclopedia is free to browse with a free account; analysing your own DNA needs a paid plan.
Questions
How many Tarim Mummies samples does MYDNATLAS hold?
Our ancient DNA catalogue holds 35 entries labelled as Tarim Mummies, of which 20 are individual genomes; the rest are reference entries such as group averages, and flagged outliers. Figures measured 2026-10-17.
Where were the Tarim Mummies samples found?
They come from 1 country, most often China. Half of the dated entries fall between 1,950 BCE and 1,743 BCE.
Were the Tarim mummies European?
No. Their appearance and woollen clothing led to that idea, but ancient DNA shows they descended from an isolated local population related to Ancient North Eurasians of Siberia, not from European or steppe migrants.