Princess of Xiaohe facts for kids

The Princess of Xiaohe (which means "Little River Princess" in Chinese) is a very old female mummy. She was found in 1934 by a Swedish explorer named Folke Bergman. Her tomb, called Xiaohe Tomb, is in a place called Xinjiang, in China.

Because she was so well-preserved and beautiful, people also called her the Beauty of Xiaohe. Some even nicknamed her the "Marlene Dietrich of the Desert" or "Sophia Loren of Xiaohe," comparing her to famous movie stars.

Who Was the Princess of Xiaohe?

The Princess of Xiaohe lived a very long time ago, between 1900 BC and 1613 BC. This means she lived over 3,600 years ago! When she died, she was likely between 20 and 40 years old.

What Did She Look Like?

What makes the Princess of Xiaohe special is how well her body was preserved. Her hair, teeth, and even her eyelashes are still there! She had a sharp nose and deep-set eyes. Scientists have noted that her features look more like people from Europe than from Asia.

Where Was She Found?

She was discovered in a large area called the Tarim Basin. This area is about 60 kilometers (about 37 miles) south of a river called Konqi He. The exact spot where she was found is a desert region in Xinjiang, China.

Images for kids

• 

  Map of the Tarim Basin and the surrounding area. Xiaohe is marked in red near the center of the map.