A joint team of Chinese, American and Kenyan archaeologists unearthed three human skeletons at an archaeological site of Manda Island in Lamu county, Kenya. The individuals are believed to have been Medieval Chinese travellers.

The experts believe these individuals may be Chinese, because all the skeletons had distinct anthropological markers on front teeth that are exclusive for the East Asians and one of them could be determined to be from the same period when Chinese admiral Zheng He travelled to East Africa in the 15th century, between 1405-1433. The other two are determined to be living in a period after Zheng’s expeditionary voyages. Experts believe that these people might have come to East Africa through land trade routes or the Maritime Silk Road. However no personal belongings or grave goods have been found by the remains so at this point it is hard to precisely date their time of death.

(after Xinhua & China Daily)