We are delighted to welcome the explorer and historian Dr. Christoph Baumer to deliver the next lecture of our 2013-2014 series on Thursday 14th November at 6pm when he will speak on 'The Bronze Age Culture of Ayala Mazar-Xiaohe: Recent Archaeological Discoveries in the Taklamakan Desert, China'.
Christoph Baumer is an explorer and historian of Central Asia, Tibet and China. Since the 1970s he has travelled extensively in Asia and has led five international expeditions into the Taklamakan Desert in Xinjiang , China between 1994 and 2009. EurAsia and member of the Royal Asiatic Society, the Royal Geographical Society and the Explorers Club.
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| Image copyright - Christoph Baumer |
Baumer’s recent publication “History of Central Asia” is also based on his own field researches. In his lecture he will report on the archaeological results from his winter 2009 expedition into the heart of the Taklamakan Desert. There he discovered an unknown Iron Age graveyard indicating links to nomadic steppe cultures much further north, a fortified Bronze Age settlement and the Early Bronze Age necropolis of Ayala Mazar which revealed a surprising fertility cult and as well as a 4000 years old unknown archaeological horizon stretching over a distance of 600 km. The naturally mummified corpses bore clear Indo-European traits.
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| Image copyright - Christoph Baumer |
The lecture is free and open for all, it will be followed by a question and answer session and a drinks reception. For details of how to get to the RAS please visit our website or for more information contact us at info@royalasiaticsociety.org or 02073919424.