(ORDO NEWS) — Recently, a hydraulic system was discovered in the ruins of a 5,000-year-old ancient city in Central China that was used effectively for drought control, agricultural and domestic needs, and flood control, local archaeologists said.
The hydraulic system, which consisted of dams, ditches and irrigation facilities, was discovered in the ruins of Shijiahe / Prov. Hubei/, where the prehistoric city was located.
The 300-hectare ancient city was surrounded by ditches formed by rivers that once flowed through or bypassed the city, said Fang Qin, director of the provincial Institute of Cultural Monuments and Archeology.
A new round of excavations that began last year during a severe drought that dried up local rivers and ditches revealed two dams related to an ancient hydraulic system.
These dams were probably built to control floods and store water for the daily life and agricultural activities of the city’s population, he continued.
One of the two dams had a ‘Y’ shaped sewer opening consisting of two spillways.
Presumably, the main spillway could quickly divert water during heavy rains or floods, while a small one was used for daily drainage, which ensured that there was enough water in the lower reaches of the rivers, for example, for domestic use and irrigating rice fields.
“This suggests that the people of Shijiahe had skills in the field of management, control and use of water resources in order to maintain the level of their production and life,” said Fang Qin.
According to archaeologists, the ancient city of Shijiahe is the largest and longest-lived prehistoric city with the highest status so far discovered in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River.
Large ruins of sacrificial objects have been excavated at the site, and a large number of exquisite jade pieces and mass-produced red pottery cups have been found.
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