Old bodies

A dozen 2,000-year-old corpses, some wearing leather jackets, felt hats and hair nets, have been unearthed in Xinjiang, western China, Reuter reports from Peking.

The official Xinhua news agency said the mummified bodies are believed to be people from the lost kingdom of Cheshi. 'Most of the female corpses have hair nets,' Xinhua said, adding that some were buried with leather handbags containing a medicine-like powder. 'The chests and stomachs of some corpses bear surgical cuts sewn up with hair.'