Researchers Map Great Wall of China’s Northern Line

Tuesday, an Israeli archeology specialist said that the northern line of China’s Great Wall was not designed to stop invading armies but rather to track civilian movements.

The observations of scientists who first traced the 740 kilometers (460-mile), Northern Line, for the first time, their findings challenged previous assumptions.

Gideon Shelach-Lavi, of Hebrew University, who oversaw the two-year report, said, “Before analysis, most people thought the wall was to stop Genghis Khan ‘s army.

But the Northern Line, lying mostly in Mongolia, winds through valleys, is relatively low in height and close to paths, pointing to non-military functions.

“Our conclusion is that it was more about monitoring or blocking the movement of people and livestock, maybe to tax them,” Shelach-Lavi said.

He suggested people may have been seeking warmer southern pastures during a medieval cold spell.

Construction of the Great Wall, which is split into sections that in total stretch for thousands of kilometers, first began in the third century BC and continued for centuries.

The Northern Line, also known as “Genghis Khan’s Wall” in reference to the legendary Mongolian conqueror, was built between the 11th and 13th centuries with pounded earth and dotted with 72 structures in small clusters.

Shelach-Lavi and his team of Israeli, Mongolian and American researchers used drones, high-resolution satellite images and traditional archaeological tools to map out the wall and find artefacts that helped pin down dates.

According to Shelach-Lavi, whose findings from the ongoing study were published in the journal Antiquity, the Northern Line has been largely overlooked by contemporary scientists.

2700-year-old weed found in an Asian grave is still totally smokeable.

Cannabis is as ancient as the dinosaurs. It’s been used by different ethnicities around the world for thousands of years, playing different roles in different cultures. In Czechoslovakia, a hemp rope dating back to 26,900 BC was discovered a decade ago and was associated with the economic activities of the people at that place in that time. Naturally, the cultivation process has changed massively in the years that have passed. One of the greatest problems facing modern cannabis cultivation is working out how the waste that is produced can be managed sustainably. To learn more about how this issue could be overcome it might be worth contacting a service provider like GAIACA.

European farmers grew cannabis Sativa for rope, canvas, and clothing. On the other hand, farmers in central Asia and Siberia grew cannabis ruderalis as cattle fodder.

Ancient India and China used cannabis indica for medical purposes, and whilst they didn’t have the same systems in place as we do now for tracking the stuff (such as how people use Metrc for compliance in oregon, to name one example) it was still quite abundant. But did ancient cultures use it recreationally? Researchers couldn’t be sure. However, a recent discovery in northern Asia has proven that indeed the oldies were getting stoned on cannabis, too. It could be a possibility. We already know that many societies use cannabis for purposes other than to smoke. So, it is a possibility that it was used recreationally. Some research teams were able to find sativa cannabis seeds, ropes, canvas, and other items to prove the use of cannabis as practical materials, so it’s safe to say that the answer lies within this discovery.

The 2,700 Year Old Weed Stash Found in Yanghai Tombs

Researchers recently discovered a weed stash in the Yanghai tombs in northern China. A 2,700-year-old grave of a light-haired Caucasian male, probably in his forties, contained the preserved THC-rich ground bud. Researchers believe that the man must have been a Shaman from the ancient Gushi culture of the Turpan Basin.

Together with the cannabis were other paraphernalia that suggests his shamanic role. Trade tools and religious artifacts were often buried with the dead in ancient cultures. These cultures believed that the dead would carry their treasures with them into the afterlife.

The dry climatic conditions and alkaline soil play a key role in preserving these. For instance, the weed stash still appeared green, though it had lost the skunk-like cannabis odor and taste.

Studying the Weed Stash

An international team of researchers has studied the 789g of cannabis cache and found that it contains tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component found in cannabis that differentiates it from hemp. So this was likely recreational cannabis. Researchers have mainly excavated hemp-derived, CBD-dominant cannabis that could be used medicinally.

Were these ancients getting high on weed? According to the lead researcher Ethan Russo, this ancient bud is very similar to what is grown today around the world. It’s similar to what many people grow for their own personal use, from seeds in their homes. You can click here to research into seeds and the deals you can get on them. In the words of Russo: “We know from both the chemical analysis and genetics that it could produce THC (tetrahydrocannabinolic acid synthase, the main psychoactive chemical in the plant).”

The international team at the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Botany studied the weed stash to determine its contents. They first thought that the ground up substance was coriander. Genetic testing revealed otherwise.

Understanding Cannabinoids

Cannabis contains over 100 identified cannabinoids, though tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are the most abundant.

The two compounds have the exact same number of molecules: 21 carbon atoms, 2 oxygen atoms, and 30 hydrogen atoms. But the difference between the two comes from the difference in molecule arrangement.

Moreover, both compounds are similar to endocannabinoids produced in mammalian bodies. Consequently, cannabis’s cannabinoids interact with the endocannabinoid system in a similar fashion. But the unique arrangement of atoms in THC allows it to bind the CB1 receptor and cause the mind-altering effects commonly associated with cannabis.

CBD on the other hand does not bind to this receptor and cannot cause the typical cannabis high. In fact, some studies have shown that CBD can inhibit the mind-altering effect caused by THC.

Putting the Tomb (and its Weed Stash) on Exhibit

In this particular tomb, the cannabis obtained was purely female. This sheds light on the reason for cultivating cannabis in the first place; these people wanted a harvest that was high in THC content.

Given the amount of cannabis found in this one grave, it appears that psychoactive cannabis must have played a key role in the life and culture of the Shaman community.

The Turpan Museum in China holds the weed stash. Researchers hope for future excavations to dig up the remains.

2000-Year-Old Bronze Pot With Unknown 3,000 Ml Liquid Unearthed!

Archaeology Org reports that a 2,200-year-old tomb has been excavated in central China, at an ancient city site situated along the route between the two ancient capitals of Xi’an and Luoyang.

According to Zhu Xiaodong of the Sanmenxia Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, the tomb may have belonged to a low-ranking official buried around 200 B.C.

Archaeologists discovered the pot with a curved neck in the shape of a swan in a tomb in the city of Sanmenxia. Also unearthed from the tomb included a bronze helmet, a bronze basin, and swords made of iron and jade.

The unknown liquid in the pot was yellowish-brown in color with impurities. The sample was sent to Beijing for further tests.

Preliminary judgment based on the form of the tomb indicates the tomb was built at the turn of the Qin Dynasty (221 BC-207 BC) and the Han Dynasty (202 BC-AD 220). Its owner might be a low-ranking official with a title.

The bronze pot was excavated from an ancient tomb when the archaeologists were examining the site of a local shantytown renovation project, said Zhu Xiaodong, deputy head of Sanmenxia’s institute of cultural relics and archaeology.

This was also the first bronze pot of its kind ever discovered in Sanmenxia, according to Zhu.

The archaeologists invited a senior veterinarian to help identify the shape as of a swan.

“The design resembles that of a mute swan,” said Gao Ruyi, a senior veterinarian with the Sanmenxia wetland park, adding that the beak of a swan is longer than that of a goose, which has been degenerated as a result of being fed by human beings.

Archaeologists speculated that the ancient craftsmen may have observed swans closely to create the pot in such a realistic shape.

“We can boldly estimate that swans may have appeared in Sanmenxia during the late Qin and early Han dynasties,” said Zhu.

Sanmenxia has been receiving swans from Siberia in winter since the 1980s. Local people are fond of the graceful birds and feed them voluntarily.

Located between Xi’an and Luoyang, two ancient capitals in Chinese history, Sanmenxia used to serve as a military and traffic artery. As a result, the city is rich in historical relics.

Over 6000 ancient tombs discovered by archaeologists in China

CHENGDU, May 14 (Xinhua) — More than 6,000 ancient tombs dating back between the Warring States Period (475 B.C.-221 B.C.) and the Ming Dynasty (1368―1644）have been discovered in southwest China’s Sichuan Province, local archaeological authorities said Thursday.

In China, archaeologists have found thousands of burials on a cliff. The burial ground was in use for over 2000 years. Many important historical artifacts have been uncovered in the tombs.

These graves could allow experts to trace the evolution of Chinese burial customs and indeed offer priceless insights into the culture’s religious beliefs over many centuries.

These tombs were found in the provincial capital of Sichuan, Chengdu, which is in the south-west of the People’s Republic.

The discoveries were made inside the Chuanxin Innovative Science and Technology Park during construction work in 2015.

Archaeologists from Chengdu Cultural Relics and Archaeology Research Institute, led by Zuo Zhiqiang, carried out a dig at the site and identified a large number of burials. Ecns.cn reports that the tombs cover an ‘area of 10.34 square meters’ (111 sq. ft.) The burials are cut into the face and on the top of a cliff.

The tombs have been cut into the red earth of the cliff. Heritage Daily reports that they are mostly ‘rock pit tombs or constructed from brick’. Some of the tombs have to be supported with wood so they do not collapse. So far, archaeologists have uncovered 6000 burial spaces of different sizes.

This burial site dates from the Warring States period (475 BC), the period before the unification of China to the Qing Dynasty (1636-1912 AD), the last Chinese dynasty.

The discovery can provide an insight into the history and burial customs of Sichuan. This region played a very important part in Chinese history and it was often the base for rebellious generals and independent empires, such as the Shu dynasty.

The archaeologists discovered many artifacts that can provide them with clues to ancient Chinese burial customs. For example, they uncovered terracotta pottery and figurines. Ceramic figures of humans and also animals, such as ducks, were unearthed.

According to Heritage Daily, the excavators also uncovered ‘pieces of pottery, porcelain, copper, iron, glass, coins and stone artifacts’. Among the rarer finds are a bronze knife, statues of the Buddha, and some painted miniature ceramic houses and buildings.

Xinhua. Net reports that in ancient China ‘people had the tradition of giving the deceased luxurious burials’. It seemed that the deceased family placed the grave goods in the tombs so that they could use them in the afterlife.

In Chinese burial customs, lavish offerings have been a sign of social status. This practice has taken place since the imperial period and continues today.

What is unique about the burial site is that all of the graves were left intact and were undisturbed for centuries. Xinhua reports that burials ‘of that period were typically robbed by modern-day tomb raiders.’ What is more, the grave goods were still in their original positions and this can help the researchers to better understand the evolution of Chinese funerary customs.

One particularly important find was from the late or Eastern Han (25-220 AD) period or after, which has been called the M94 Cliff Tomb. Here researchers have found 86 burial goods and hundreds of coins from the period.

The tomb clearly belonged to a person of high social rank. Zuo Zhiqiang told Heritage Daily, “The tomb will help us to construct the archaeological cultural sequence and the funeral behaviors, rituals, and concepts of the Shudiya tombs in the late Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period .”

Work is ongoing at the tomb cliffs and it is hoped that more treasures will be found at the site to reveal even more secrets of ancient Chinese burial customs. More findings from the research will be announced in the near future. The site at Chengdu can help us comprehend the worldview and funerary beliefs of people over an incredibly long period of time.

150,000-Year-Old Pipes Baffle Scientists in China: Out of Place in Time?

In the province of Qinghai near Mount Baigong in China, there is a strange pyramid with three caves leading to the saltwater lake

Below the lake bed and on the coast there are iron pipes of about 150,000 years old that are some as thin as a toothpick.

What is baffling Chinese historians is that the area wasn’t thought to have been occupied by people until around 30,000 years ago.

And according to historians, the humans that were around were nomads, thus making it unlikely that they would have taken the time to install plumbing.

That leaves a 120,000-year gap of “who was here laying down the iron pipe?”

Aliens?

Yes, it’s a far-fetched possibility, but the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences isn’t ruling it out. Research fellow, Yang Ji told Xinhua News Agency the pyramid may have been built by intelligent beings.

He didn’t dismiss the theory that ancient extraterrestrials may be responsible as complete hogwash, but said: “it’s worth looking into and science would have to determine if there’s any truth.” Okay, so now that we’ve got the obligatory space alien theory out of the way, what about more likely theories?

The investigation into the pipes began in 2002 with some researchers believing the pipes were left over by a prehistoric civilization whose techniques were later lost to the humans that moved into the area.

Around the pipes leading to the area are “strangely shaped stones” protruding from the ground that are confusing historians even more.

So weird rocks are protruding from the ground and the pipes can’t be traced to a known civilization. If that wasn’t strange enough, the scientist isn’t entirely sure what they’re made of.

While the pipes are believed to be mostly iron, the head of publicity for the local Delingha government told reporters that the pipes were analyzed at a local smeltery and 8 percent of the material could not be identified.

The remaining material was a combination of ferric oxide, silicon dioxide, and calcium oxide which are byproducts of long interaction between iron and the surrounding sandstone.

One final theory is that they aren’t even pipes at all but fossilized tree roots. Fossilized tree roots of similar structures have been found in Louisiana and scientists found plant matter in some of the pipes and it looks very similar to tree rings.

It’s a long-standing geological theory that in certain temperatures and under certain chemical conditions, tree roots can undergo the transformation of soil into rock and in time, produce iron formations.

So, are they pipes laid down by an ancient tribe or space aliens? Or are they the result of iron-rich magma forcing its way up through the earth into fissures, or just fossilized tree roots? Whatever the case, the “oopart” (out of place artifact) is certainly a source of puzzlement and wonder for conventional scientists and historians alike.

A Mysterious X-Shaped Ancient Tomb has been Excavated in China

Xbox???? no way…….. I see X-men…..or were the terra-cotta warriors’ avid gamers???

Maybe they are going to unearth the Wolverine …..let him save the world from us.

In any case ……. the tomb is considered to be 221-206 B.C. from the Qin dynasty. … the Qin dynasty was the first Imperial China dynasty to be established by the first Emperor

Xbox fans (you know who you are) are positively giddy of what appears to be a new discovery in China of a 2nd century BCE tomb that looks very much like the iconic logo of the popular gaming console. Needless to say, Microsoft likes it too.

Except for the rumors, the Chinese beat them to the technology and are now demanding a share of the profits. Will the descendants of the person in the tomb supplant Bill Gates on the world’s richest person lists? Should the company be getting ready for an invasion of terracotta soldiers?

Not much information seems to be available about the tomb. The photo appeared first on the Xbao twitter feed and was picked up by OnMSFT.com (see the picture here), which calls itself one of the original Microsoft-centered communities but is not affiliated with Microsoft.

The site traced the picture to a video posted on the Weibo YouTube channel and is of a newly-discovered tomb from the Qin dynasty.

That might place it near the city of Xian, in Shaanxi province of China where the army of life-size, terracotta soldiers was found at the burial site of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty who ruled China from 221 BCE to 207 BCE.

There don’t appear to be any other tombs with the unique “X” on top of a circular dome.

More is known about the Xbox, of course. It was pitched to Bill Gates in 1998, announced to the public in 2000, and hit the market at the 2001 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas with a name and a logo that internal marketing people didn’t think would work.

How wrong they were. The original logo featured the text “XBOX” next to a large 3D “X.”

In 2005, 3D “X” was placed over a grey 3D ball – the image the tomb resembles.

Or is it the other way around?

“Most ancient Copyright claim in history incoming?” “Had a great selection of games, but only played in 0.00000000000004k”

The Twitter comments allude to the question – did Microsoft steal the logo from the Chinese? Did Emperor Qin Shi Huang die while playing an abacus version of the Xbox? Who knows? Until archeologists determine the real reason for the symbol, speculating is almost as much fun as playing on the Xbox.

Kneeling Decapitated Skeleton was Ancient Chinese Sacrifice Victim

HENAN PROVINCE, CHINA—According to  AncientOrigins report, archaeologists from the Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology and the Jiyuan Municipal Cultural Relics.

The team has uncovered a headless human skeleton in a pit at central China’s Chaizhuang site, which dates to the late Shang Dynasty (1600–1050 B.C.)

The remains were found facing north in a kneeling position with hands crossed in front, suggesting that the person had been beheaded as a human sacrifice.

Archeologists found a large number of tombs from the Late Shang Dynasty, providing evidence for the study of ancient social and ceremonial rituals, in the excavation of the Chaizhuang site in Jiyuan.

The bone remains found at the site suggest that the human sacrifice was beheaded, facing north and kneeling in the pit with his hands crossed in front of him.

“This well-preserved human bone is shaped like the oracle bone inscription of the character ‘Kan,'” said Liang Fawei, head of the Chaizhuang site excavation project.

Liang said according to the study on records of oracle bone inscriptions unearthed in Yin Ruins, sacrificial culture prevailed in the Shang Dynasty and hieroglyphs such as “She,” “Shi,” “Tan” and “Kan” were used to describe sacrificial activities of different rituals.

Among them, the word “Kan” depicts the way of offering sacrifices of people or livestock in pits.

Oracle bone inscriptions, or Jiaguwen, are an ancient Chinese language named for their inscriptions on tortoise shells and animal bones.

They are a primitive form of Chinese characters and the oldest fully-developed characters in China.

Previously, the remains of human sacrifice discovered were mostly in a lying posture.

Experts assumed that the sacrificial method recorded in the hieroglyph “Kan” suggests burial in an upright position, which must have been a more prevailing burial than that in a lying position.

Archaeologists from the Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology and the Jiyuan Municipal Cultural Relics Team have excavated 6,000 square meters of the site since 2019.

Their survey found the ancient Chaizhuang settlement covers 300,000 square meters.

Semi-crypt-type houses, wells, ash pits, roads, and fireworks have been found at the site, along with a trove of relics including pottery, stone, bone, mussel, and jade artifacts.

Old cannon found at the Macau construction site

MACAU, CHINA— Reports that a cannon was uncovered during construction work in the Inner Harbor area of the city of Macau, which is located on coastal islands in the South China Sea.

Ming Dynasty officials leased the area to Portuguese traders in the mid-sixteenth century A.D.

The region then became a Portuguese colony in 1887 until 1999 when it was transferred to China.

Officials from the Cultural Affairs Bureau, the Municipal Affairs Bureau, and the Customs Service are investigating the site and examining the cannon. 

The statement says that the cannon was dug up last afternoon during construction work for a sewer project in the Inner Harbor district, close to the car park.

The project has been temporarily suspended following the find.
According to information provided by workers at the scene, the cannon was accidentally dug out by an excavator at about 4:15 p.m.

Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) officials, as well as Customs Service and PSP officers, arrived at the scene to investigate.

The statement said the old cannon was possibly a “cultural relic.” 

This photo provided by a reader to local media outlets yesterday shows a construction worker with the old cannon dug out by an excavator on a construction site in the Inner Harbour area yesterday.