Cities in the Eurasian steppes, a core of nomadic empires, are rare. Erecting city from scratch is even less typical. However, Khar Khul Khaany Balgas, situated north Khangai Mountains central Mongolia, such an exceptional example, never built over by subsequent settlements. Overlooked until now because researchers dated its latest settlement phase into 17th century a.d., first radiocarbon date...

Nine short tandem repeat (STR) markers on the X chromosome (DXS101, DXS6789, DXS6799, DXS6804, DXS7132, DXS7133, DXS7423, DXS8378, and HPRTB) were analyzed in four population groups (Mongol, Ewenki, Oroqen, and Daur) from Inner Mongolia, China, in order to learn about the genetic diversity, forensic suitability, and possible genetic affinities of the populations. Frequency estimates, Hardy-Wein...

Since the Song dynasty, China had sometimes supported a massive navy, which the Mongols expanded to invade Japan in 1274 and again in 1281 and to attack Java. Subsequently, the early Ming navy carried out enormous excursions into Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean from 1403 to 1434. Ming rulers also declined any political accommodation with the Mongols and their nomadic neighbours, a policy th...