A team of researchers from Fudan University and elsewhere has successfully generated a genome of the Chinese Emperor Wu (Wudi) of the Xianbei-led Northern Zhou dynasty. The authors have determined that Emperor Wu possessed a typical East or Northeast Asian appearance and faced an increased susceptibility to certain diseases, such as stroke.
The facial reconstruction (left) and the portrait (right) of the Chinese Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou dynasty. Image credit: Du et al., doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.059.
The emperor of China was endowed with symbolic significance for over 2,000 years, considered the ‘Son of Heaven’ bestowed with the ‘Mandate of Heaven’ and, as such, enjoyed what was perceived as a divinely ordained rule over the state.
The title of ‘Emperor’ first appeared in 221 BCE, beginning with Ying Zheng’s self-proclamation as the ‘First Emperor.’
The position lasted until the abdication of the last emperor of the Qing dynasty, Aisin-Gioro Puyi, marking a total of 2,132 years and 83 feudal dynasties.
Emperor Wu, named Yuwen Yong (543-578 CE), was a highly influential emperor who reformed the system of regional troops, pacified the Turks, and unified the northern part of ancient China after defeating the Northern Qi dynasty.
He was ethnically Xianbei, an ancient nomadic group that lived in what is today Mongolia and northern and northeastern China.
“Some scholars said the Xianbei had ‘exotic’ looks, such as thick beard, high nose bridge, and yellow hair,” said Dr. Shaoqing Wen, a researcher at Fudan University.
“Our analysis shows Emperor Wu had typical East or Northeast Asian facial characteristics.”
In 1996, archaeologists discovered Emperor Wu’s tomb in northwestern China, where they found his bones, including a nearly complete skull.
With the development of ancient DNA research in recent years, Dr. Wen and his colleagues managed to recover over one million single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on his DNA, some of which contained information about the color of Emperor Wu’s skin and hair.
The researchers were also able to reconstruct the emperor’s face in 3D.
Their results show Emperor Wu had brown eyes, black hair, and dark to intermediate skin, and his facial features were similar to those of present-day Northern and Eastern Asians.
“Our work brought historical figures to life,” said Dr. Pianpian Wei, also from Fudan University.
“Previously, people had to rely on historical records or murals to picture what ancient people looked like.”
“We are able to reveal the appearance of the Xianbei people directly.”
“Emperor Wu died at the age of 36, and his son also died at a young age with no clear reason,” the scientists said.
“Some archaeologists say Emperor Wu died of illness, while others argue the emperor was poisoned by his rivals.”
By analyzing Emperor Wu’s DNA, they found that the emperor was at an increased risk for stroke.
The finding aligns with historical records that described the emperor as having aphasia, drooping eyelids, and an abnormal gait — potential symptoms of a stroke.
The genetic analysis shows the Xianbei people intermarried with ethnically Han Chinese when they migrated southward into northern China.
“This is an important piece of information for understanding how ancient people spread in Eurasia and how they integrated with local people,” Dr. Wen said.
The results were published this week in the journal Current Biology.
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Panxin Du et al. Ancient genome of the Chinese Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou. Current Biology, published online March 28, 2024; doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.059
