Cherchen Man

Cherchen Man or Chärchän Man or Ur-David is the modern name given to a mummy found in the town Cherchen, located in current Xinjiang region of China. The mummy is a member of the group known as Tarim mummies. His naturally-mummified remains were discovered in Tomb 2 at the Zaghunluq cemetery, near the town of Qiemo (Chärchän) in the Taklamakan Desert of north-west China. Other such remains have also been recovered at sites throughout the Tarim Basin, including Qäwrighul, Yanghai, Shengjindian, Shanpula (Sampul), and Qizilchoqa.

Discovery In September 1985, archaeologists excavating the Zaghunluq cemetery uncovered Tomb 85QZM 2, an intact burial containing the remains later known as Cherchen Man. The cemetery, located approximately 6 km (3.7 mi) south of modern Cherchen (Qiemo) in the Tarim Basin of present-day Xinjiang, had been identified during archaeological investigations earlier that year and contained several hundred burials.

Cherchen Man was found within a burial chamber containing the remains of three women, while an infant was interred in an adjacent tomb. Archaeologists excavated five tombs during the investigation, three of which had previously been looted. Tomb 85QZM 2 was one of only two undisturbed burials examined by the expedition. His height is estimated at 176–178 cm.

Associated objects and clothing

He was interred in a mud-brick tomb covered with reeds and brush. Within the tomb, the body rested on branches with small mats placed beneath it, reducing contact with moisture and helping to slow decomposition. Archaeologists also noted a wooden support that appears to have held the legs in a bent position, increasing air circulation around the body and further contributing to preservation.

The cemetery was situated in salt-rich sandy soil in an area known locally as Tuzluqqash ("salt rock"), conditions that helped inhibit decay and preserve both the human remains and associated organic materials. Together with the region's arid climate, these environmental conditions helped preserve the burial and its contents for more than three millennia.

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