Ancient Irrigation System
© Want China TimesThe protective dam of the irrigation system found in Chengdu. (Internet photo).
An ancient irrigation system that dates back 4,000 years has been unearthed in Chengdu in southwestern China's Sichuan province, according to the city's municipal museum on Thursday.

The system, with a 147-meter-long bank protective dam, was discovered at a real estate construction site in the Wenjiang district of the city.

The dam is 14 m wide at the bottom, 12 m at the top and 1.3 m high with eight grooves dug by hand.

The remains of five houses and 54 tombs were discovered on the east side of the dam, which is evidence that the dam was built to protect the community, according to the museum.

The dam is the earliest irrigation system in the area along the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, said Wang Yi, curator of the museum.

It is 2,000 years older than the Dujiangyan irrigation system, a world cultural heritage site near Chengdu, he said.

Source: Xinhua