In the "basin" of Tarim, in the Xinjiang province of China, lies the desert Takla Makan, where mummies with European features were discovered in 2014. The mummies are almost 4000 years old and date back to 2000 BC. Because of their color, they were called "white mummies".

Due to the aridity in the desert, many of the mummies retained their features, while some pieces of clothing were saved. The results of the scientific research were impressive, as they proved the existence of immigrants from Europe in the wider Tarim region. The mummies did not have Asian eyes and were taller than the Asians. Their hair color was mostly blond and brown and the face had "corners". The clothing, which had not been altered, as well as some grave finds, indicated European peoples. From time to time, Europeans were recorded in the region.

The Roman Emperor Claudius had received some reports of the existence of people in the "basin" of Tarim who had light yellow hair, blue eyes, and were much taller than the Asians. Although the reports were not historically proven and were not a reliable source, they reinforced the researchers' view.

Did Greeks live in the Tarim area?

The Chinese historian Sima Qian had recorded in his files the story of the ambassador Emperor Wang Zhang Qian who had been sent west in search of allies against the Huns. During the journey, he was captured and when he managed to escape he found himself in the desert Takla Makan where he met the "Daiuan" (presumably Danaus). He described them as white, with beards and not slant eyes, and said they owned horses, beautiful buildings and objects, and statues. The area where they lived is said to have been Alexandria the Last, one of the cities founded by Alexander the Great. So if the conjecture is correct, the people described by Zhang Qian were Greeks. When the envoy returned, he told the emperor, who was especially interested in horses, about the people he had met. Thus began the contact and exchange of products. Based on this data, the existence of Greeks in the wider area is possible.

The research results showed that the mummies had a heterogeneous origin. This is justified with the "mixing" of the peoples or with the existence of other races mainly for commercial reasons. The discovered mummies caused a political problem in the city as the residents of the area demanded their independence in the past, claiming that they were not Chinese. The results of the research showed that they may be right.