The 3,800-year-old “beauty of Lοulaп” was discovered in 2023 at the Ha Ha Tomb Complex

The maritime tradition has a vast collection of stories about ghost ships with ghostly crews that are destined never to reach the port. The story of the ship Octavius is a fascinating and mysterious tale.

In 1775, the whaler ship Herald discovered a badly weather-beaten schooner drifting at sea. Upon boarding, the crew found the frozen bodies of the 28 sailors, including the captain, who was still seated behind his desk, holding a pen as if he were frozen instantly.

The Octavius had left the port of London in 1761 with a full crew and had safely arrived in China, where they unloaded their cargo. The captain then decided to sail back home via the Northwest Passage, a travel that had not been accomplished at that time.

The Octavius was declared lost, and nobody knew what had happened to the vessel, its crew, or its cargo until it was discovered by the Herald 14 years later. The tale of the Loulan Beauty is also a remarkable story. This well-preserved mummy was discovered in 1980 in the Tarim Basin in western China, and it is believed to be approximately 3,800 years old.

The woman, of European or Mediterranean descent, is adorned with intricate tattoos, challenging previous beliefs about ancient tattooing. The tattoos suggest that tattooing was more prevalent and culturally significant than previously thought.

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