In the Henan Province of central China, a water system that dates back more than 3,600 years has been uncovered. This discovery will help people comprehend how the old city was laid out.
This photo taken on March 23, 2023 shows a ditch of the water system in the ruins of a city from the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 B.C.) in Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan Province.
A water system from more than 3,600 years ago has been discovered in central China's Henan Province. This find will improve people's understanding of the city layout back then. (Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology/Handout via Xinhua)
In the ruins of a city from the Shang Dynasty (1600–1046 B.C.) in Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan, three ditch sections were discovered. Together, these parts make up the greatest water infrastructure from the Shang Dynasty's early years that has been uncovered thus far.
One of the portions was constructed on a real river channel, while the other two were wholly artificial, according to local archaeologists. The ditches were discovered to be around 540 meters long, 12 meters wide at their widest point, and four meters deep at their lowest point.
"Based on our study of spatial positions and cultural relics recovered from the ditches, we believe that they were interconnected and belonged to a large water system, which demonstrated the grandeur of a Shang capital," mentioned Yang Wensheng, vice director of the Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology.
About 25 square kilometers of the city were in ruins, and it is thought that Tang, the first emperor of the Shang Dynasty, established the city as the Shang capital.
Archaeologists discovered stone water diversion facilities and fake open channels in one of the ditch sections, proving that the water system had a complicated functional design as early as the Shang Dynasty. Additionally, remnants of handicraft facilities for casting copper and creating bone things were discovered.
In the northern areas of the city, the ditches were linked to ponds and gardens, indicating that water from the system provided not only the city's industry and life but also its beautification.
"Discovery of this water system enhanced our understanding of the layout of the ancient city, which is of significance for in-depth study of city planning and functional zones division in the early Shang Dynasty capital," said Yang Shugang of the Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology.
