Are green-eyed Chinese descendants of lost Roman legion?
China News.Net Friday 26th November, 2010 (IANS) Many residents of the remote north western Chinese village of Liqian have green eyes and blonde hair, leading some experts to suggest that they may be the descendants of a lost Roman legion that settled in the area. Now, DNA testing of the villagers has shown that almost two-thirds of them are of Caucasian origin. The results fortify the theory that the founding of Liqian may be linked to the legend of the missing army of Roman general Marcus Crassus, the Daily Mail reports. In 53 BC, after Crassus was defeated by the Parthians and beheaded near what is now Iran, stories persisted that 145 Romans were captured and wandered the region for years. The town’s link with Rome was first suggested by a professor of Chinese history at Oxford in the 1950s. Oxford Professor Homer Dubs believes the group travelled east, were captured by the Chinese and founded Liqian in 36 BC. Dubs theorised that they made their way as a mercenary troop eastwards, w
China News.Net Friday 26th November, 2010 (IANS) Share this page Tweet Many residents of the remote north western Chinese village of Liqian have green eyes and blonde hair, leading some experts to suggest that they may be the descendants of a lost Roman legion that settled in the area. Now, DNA testing of the villagers has shown that almost two-thirds of them are of Caucasian origin. The results fortify the theory that the founding of Liqian may be linked to the legend of the missing army of Roman general Marcus Crassus, the Daily Mail reports. In 53 BC, after Crassus was defeated by the Parthians and beheaded near what is now Iran, stories persisted that 145 Romans were captured and wandered the region for years. The town’s link with Rome was first suggested by a professor of Chinese history at Oxford in the 1950s. Oxford Professor Homer Dubs believes the group travelled east, were captured by the Chinese and founded Liqian in 36 BC. Dubs theorised that they made their way as a mercen
