Abstract: This study examines within-group variation based on craniometric data obtained from a sample of 24 Bronze Age skeletal human remains recently excavated along the Tianshan North Road, Hami region, Xinjiang. Statistical analysis was applied to 77 craniometric variables of both male and female groups. Morphological affinities showed evidence of a marked biological dissimilarity between the Tianshan North Road group and control groups, and also a considerable distance within Tianshan North Road male group. According to a review of previous archaeological and genetic research in this region, this result could indicate the skeletal population from the Tianshan North Road cemetery has its own unique morphological characteristics and was a group of people living in a transitional area occupied by both eastern and western ancestors.

Key words: Xinjiang; Phenotypic variation; Cranial metric traits