The Discovery of an Ancient Archaeological Landmark More than Thousands of Years Old in Central China

Beijing (ST) – Chinese archeologists have discovered an urban road dating back more than 3 thousand years ago in Anyang city, Henan Province, central China, that provides new insights into studies of The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site.

He Yuling, a researcher in the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, was quoted by Xinhua News Agency as saying: “The discovered road is located in the Yin ruins, with a width extending from east to west 14 meters at the widest point”. He added that 80 meters of the road have been explored so far, and it has been paved with gravel, bones, and broken pottery pieces of similar sizes.

The researcher pointed out that this discovery provides new information for studies related to the transportation network and functional planning, especially in the province north of the Huang He River that flows through the ruins.

This discovery will help in the extensive research on the localization structure, governance pattern, and division of labor in the Yin handicraft industry.

Yin Ruins was included on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2006, and it is famous for the symbols engraved in the Oracle bones discovered in it, which is considered the oldest Chinese inscriptions.

The planning of Yin, which had been known of the late Shang Dynasty (1600 to 1046 B.C.), has become the focus of many archaeologists.

Najla Khoury