Ancient Xinjiang at the International Crossroads

This book unveils the ancient secrets of Xinjiang, western China, one of the least known but culturally rich and complex regions of the heart of Asia. Xinjiang is perhaps most famous for its lethal desert, the Taklamakan (Figure 1), its name in the local Uyghur language translating as ‘You can go in, but you will never come out’. For those who have a good grasp of geography it may also be known as the core part of the routes along the ancient Silk Roads, hazardous paths from one small patch of green oasis to another, days apart across perilous sandy wastes. In recent years Xinjiang has also become known for its so-called ‘mummies’, remarkably preserved bodies protected from decay by heat and saline sands.