Ancient drain ditch discovered in downtown Chengdu

A drain ditch dating back to the Tang and Song dynasties (AD618-1279) has been unearthed at a construction site in downtown Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, according to West China Metropolis Daily.

To prepare for the construction of a basketball court at the Chengdu Sports Center, the Chengdu Archaeological Team started a regular survey of the site on Oct 14.

"Archaeologists first found a path from the Song Dyansty (960-1279) and then a drain ditch which might have been built sometime between the Tang and Song dynasties," said Wang Yi, chief of the Chengdu Archaeological Team.

The path, which is more than 2 meters long and about 1 meter wide, was unearthed on Monday and is made of cobblestones in the shape of chrysanthemums. It must have been part of the patio of a courtyard during the Song dynasty, Wang said.

The drain ditch, which is about 2 meters long, is made of gray stone bricks.

The construction is near the former site of the palace of the Shu king in the Ming Dynasty. Shu was the ancient name for Sichuan.