Archaeologists have unearthed 1000-year-old ancient building ruins believed to be dating back to the Jin and Yuan dynasties in China’s northern Hebei province.
After four months of excavation at the Haifeng Town in Huanghua City, the ruins of an ancient hearth, fire pits and wall footings have been uncovered among bricks, tiles and broken porcelain. Staff working at the site have also unearthed a 6-meter-wide main road, flanked on both sides by the ruins of buildings.
Jin and Yuan dynasties
Judging from preliminary assessment of the unearthed ruins and items, they are presumed to have been used during the Jin (960-1276) and Yuan (1271-1368) dynasties, said Lei Jianhong, director of the research office for underwater archaeology at the Hebei Cultural Relics Institute, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
The excavation area, which is 30-meter-long and 10-meter-wide, is only a small part of the building cluster of the Haifeng Town ruins.
It was bustling with activity once
The rich findings indicate that there was intense human activity at the site and the ancient town is likely to have had a flourishing economy and trade, said Mr. Lei, who led the dig starting in July.
It is the fourth excavation of the Haifeng Town ruins.
Standing at the mouth of a river, the town is thought to have been a port for the trade of porcelain and salt.
Scholars have said the ancient Haifeng Town is likely to be the northern tip of the Maritime Silk Road, from which Chinese porcelain was shipped across East Asia and beyond.
But this cannot be verified until further archaeological findings are made.
