Scientists use 1,500-year-old DNA to reveal the face of a Chinese emperor

China – Scientists were able to use DNA taken from the remains of a Chinese emperor who lived before 1500, and recreate an approximate image of his face and find out the possible cause of his death.

Emperor Wu ruled the Northern Zhou Dynasty in China from 560 AD until his death in 578, at the age of 36, according to a study published in the journal Current Biology.

The study stated that Wu may have been known for his strong military presence and unification of northern China after the defeat of the Northern Qi Dynasty. However, the cause of the Emperor’s death at such a young age has long been debated, with some historians questioning whether he was poisoned by rivals, and others claiming he died of an unknown illness.

New DNA analysis confirms that he likely died due to complications of stroke, according to the study.

Archaeologists originally discovered Wu’s tomb in 1996. It contained the ruler’s skeleton including an “almost complete skull”, from which scientists were able to extract his DNA for genetic analysis.

“Our work is bringing historical figures to life,” Pianpian Wei, a co-author of the study and an assistant professor in the Department of Cultural Heritage and Museology at Fudan University in Shanghai, said in the statement. Previously, people had to rely on historical records or murals to depict what the ancients looked like. We are now able to directly reveal the appearance of the Xianbei people.”

That picture is of a man with brown eyes, black hair, and dark skin, similar to the complexion of present-day North and East Asia. The study also confirmed that Wu belonged ethnically to the Xianbei, a nomadic group that lived in what is now known as Mongolia and the northern parts of China, according to the study.

DNA analysis revealed that the Xianbei people migrated south to northern China, and intermarried with people of the Han Chinese ethnicity.

“This is important information for understanding how the ancients spread in Eurasia and how they integrated with the local population,” study co-researcher Shaoqing Wen, a doctoral student in archaeological sciences at Fudan University, confirmed in a statement.

Source: Live Science