Mysterious Fuxian Lake's secrets told
Where is it from?
Some experts speculate the site might be the ancient city of
Yuyuan, which disappeared mysteriously many hundreds of years ago.
Han Shu (a classic Chinese historical writing covering the history of the Western
Han Dynasty, 206 BCE-9 CE), once recorded that Yuyuan City was north of
Fuxian Lake.
Was the site under the lake the city recorded in Han Shu? To determine this
point, the researchers first tried to determine whether the site's age tallied
with history. They needed to find items that correlated with human life. After a
half-month's survey, earthenware was spotted by inspection team members.
The experts believed that, from this earthenware, the site was possibly from
the Warring States to the Eastern Han
Dynasty. However, in order to find a more exact time, they had to find a
subject that could be used for carbon 14 testing.
A City of Han Dynasty
After failing many times, team members finally found some shells attached to
blocks. Through a test for carbon 14, an accurate time was discovered-the item
was 1750 years old. This result proved the site was sunk during the Han
period. However in the Tang
Dynasty, there were still records about Yuyuan City remaining on land.
Therefore, the lost city is not Yuyuan.
Another Guess
Some experts believe that, from the structure of the under-lake construction,
it is extremely similar to the construction styles of the ancient Dian Country,
a country with a high level of civilization. After BC 86, it mysteriously
disappeared.
But other experts are suspicious, saying it is too early to make this
conclusion because archaeology is a long and complex process. Solving the riddle
of the old city requires longer-term archaeological excavation and careful
research.
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