Some sections of the city wall in Tam Tinh Doi were destroyed by time, but Chinese archaeologists at the Institute for Cultural Relics and Archaeology of Sichuan province recreated the basic layout of the city based on exploring existing city walls, China Daily reported.
The relic of Tam Tinh Doi ancient city in Quang Han, Tu Xuyen province, has an area of about 3.6 km2 and is arranged in a northwest - southeast direction, basically suitable for the foundation of the high-end building and the pearl processing workshop discovered in 2022.
Based on the newly discovered water gate and citadel gate, the main axis of Tam Tinh Doi city is the result of the ancient Chinese adapting to the local geographical environment, as well as the natural mountains and riverbeds at that time, said Xu Danyang - Deputy Director of Tam Tinh Doi relic at the Institute for Cultural and Archaeological Research of Tu Xuyen province.
The north and south of Tam Tinh Doi city are separated by a river, with the north being the palace and workshop area, while the southern part is the ceremonial area.
The water gates are located east and west of the ancient citadel of Tam Tinh Doi. This ancient citadel has thick walls, many gates and roads connecting to surrounding areas.
Favorably arranging for both daily production and water collection, as well as using waterways to connect with the outside world, reflecting advanced urban construction ideas, said Mr. Xu Danyang.
Scholars believe that the Three Gorgeses were built 2,800 to 4,800 years ago. Archaeological discoveries show that Tam Tinh Doi is a prosperous and highly developed cultural center.
The legendary archaeological site of Tam Tinh Doi in China was discovered in 1929 when Yan Daocheng - a local resident - dug a hole filled with antiques made of pearls and stone while repairing a wastewater ditch next to his house.
Chinese archaeologists have been excavating here since the 1930s. A major breakthrough was achieved in 1984 when archaeologists excavated the ruins of large palaces, part of the eastern, western and southern walls of an ancient city. In 1986, Chinese archaeologists unearthed two large holes filled with bronze artifacts, including masks and small statues.
These important archaeological discoveries have confirmed that the Three Gorgeses - an archaeological site with ruins of a city - used to be the political, economic and cultural center of the ancient Shandong Kingdom, an ancient civilization that existed in what is now Sichuan Province, China.
The Three Gorgeses are recognized as one of China's most important archaeological discoveries of the 20th century.
Since 2020, 6 new donation pits have been excavated after the first 2 pits. The antique excavated at these 6 offering pits is on display in the Tam Tinh Doi Museum. Tam Tinh Doi Museum opened in July last year and has attracted more than 5 million visitors from around the world.
