China, the “Middle Kingdom,” has long been thought to have developed independently from the West. Mighty mountains and the inhospitable Taklamakan formed insurmountable barriers. But the belief in China's isolation has been challenged by surprising discoveries. Mummies from the Bronze Age are turning this assumption upside down and recasting the cultural relationship between east and west.

China, the “Middle Kingdom,” has long been thought to have developed independently from the West. Mighty mountains and the inhospitable Taklamakan formed insurmountable barriers. But the belief in China's isolation has been challenged by surprising discoveries. Mummies from the Bronze Age are turning this assumption upside down and recasting the cultural relationship between east and west.