CHINAEUROPE AFRICAASIA 中文双语Français
Culture\Heritage

Rare basement, fireplace excavated at 2,400-year-old palace in NW China

Xinhua | Updated: 2017-01-17 13:59

Rare basement, fireplace excavated at 2,400-year-old palace in NW China

Photo taken on Jan 13, 2017 shows a basement excavated at the site of the ancient town of Yueyang in the Yanliang district of Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province. [Photo/Xinhua]

Chinese archaeologists have unearthed a rare basement and fireplace in the ruins of an ancient city that served as a state capital some 2,400 years ago.

The five-meter-long and four-meter-wide room was built nearly one meter below ground at the ruins of Yueyang city, capital of the Qin state during the Warring States Period from 476-221 BC Stone pillar bases and square bricks were also found in the room.

Renowned archaeologist Li Yufang said buildings with basements were rare during that period, denoting an upscale style and indicating the ruins were actually the residential palace of the state ruler.

Experts surmised the basement was a storage room for the belongings of the ruler's concubines.

A fireplace -- a feature only seen in residential palaces of rulers during the period -- was also found at the ruins, said Liu Rui, a researcher with the Institute of Archeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and head of the excavation team.

The remains of Yueyang city are in the district of Yanliang in Xi'an city, Shaanxi province in Northwest China. It served as the capital of the Qin state for 35 years.

A famed political reform took place in the city about 2,300 years ago, when Qin statesman Shang Yang initiated a series of reforms that led to the foundation of China's legal system. His reforms are believed to have made Qin the strongest state during the tumultuous period, paving the way for Emperor Qinshihuang to build the Qin Dynasty and unite China in 221 BC.

 

BACK TO THE TOP
Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

Registration Number: 130349
FOLLOW US