Chinese archaeologists discover well-preserved section of 2,200-year-old 4-lane highway
Stretch of Qin Straight Road reveals sophisticated construction techniques including rammed-earth slope reinforcements and filled valleys
Chinese archaeologists have uncovered a stretch of the celebrated Qin Straight Road, one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects in human history.
The discovery of the 13km (8-mile) stretch offers fresh evidence of the 2,200-year-old “highway” that once spanned nearly 900km across northern China.
It was unveiled on December 9, following a survey launched last year by the Cultural Heritage Protection and Research Institute of Yulin, in northwest China’s Shaanxi province.
Excavations have revealed sophisticated construction techniques, such as trench passes aligned in a straight line, rammed-earth slope reinforcements, compacted roadbeds and filled valleys. It averaged about 40 metres (130 feet) in width – enough space for four lanes of traffic.