Archaeologists have inferred that ruins found in Lop Nur in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous1 Region may actually be from the ancient city of Loulan, judging by their shape, construction and other characteristics.
考古学家推测,新疆罗布泊地区发现的废墟根据形状、建筑以及其它因素推测,可能是楼兰古城。
The ruins were found on the northern bank of Peacock River. Carbon dating indicates that the
relics2 could date back more than 1,000 years. The ruins of the ancient city lie 57.5 kilometers southeast of the ancient site of Loulan, discovered by Swedish explorer Sven Hedin in 1900.
The layout of wall fragments indicates that the city might have been arranged in a circle, with a diameter of 300 meters, according to Hu Xingjun, associate research fellow with the Xinjiang Institute of Cultural Relics and
Archaeology3. Archaeologists have also found
pottery4 fragments,
copper5 arrows, copper
bracelets6,
brass7 buckles8 and other
remains9, most of which originated during the Han (B.C.202—220) and Jin (A.D.266-420) Dynasties.
Several nearby tombs were discovered as well. In two of the
unearthed10 tomb pits, archaeologists found
tapestry11 fragments, implying that the tombs in question were of a high standard. They believe the tombs were used to bury nobles from that period.
Loulan, or Kroraina, was one of the pivotal stops along the famous Silk Road, but mysteriously disappeared around the Third Century AD.