A 4,000-year-old system of water canals has been discovered in central China’s Henan province, providing evidence of early state-level organization and urban planning during the Xia Dynasty (2070 BC to 1600 BC).

It is the oldest known Chinese dynasty, local officials said.

The canals were found at the Wangchenggang site, and the details were presented at a forum dedicated to the find. last archaeological site in the province.

Two new man-made canals from the early Xia period have been identified at the site, each about three meters wide and confirmed to be over 120 meters long, Global-times reports.

“Each canal was oriented north-south and connected by a channel about 10 meters wide, forming a complete system for water supply, drainage and spatial division,” said archaeologist Ma. Long.

He points out that the two canals were carefully planned and designed, with a high level of engineering standards, and that several thousand cubic meters of soil were removed for their construction, indicating an organized and extensive work system.

In addition, numerous smaller canals ranging from 0.3 to one meter wide were discovered, which were connected to individual buildings or furnaces, allowing the rapid drainage of the waters of the rain and sewage and maintaining a dry environment.

“Such a large and hierarchically organized system of man-made canals shows that as early as the Xia Dynasty, the Wangchenggang site had a unique organization and standardized engineering practices,” said Yang Wensheng, deputy director of the Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology. /tesheshi.com/

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Source: prizrenpost