Ruins of river bank, old city wall unearthed in east China

The remains of a bank revetment and walls were found in east China's Fujian province, which experts believe could help them get a glimpse of a city built some 1,100 years ago.

According to Chen Pin, a research fellow with the Fujian provincial museum, the revetment, or retaining wall, found in Fuzhou was made of wood.

"There had been a river and the revetment was used to prevent erosion," he said. "Such a structure only existed in south China."

They also found the footing of a city wall, which was built during the period of Five Dynasties (907-960). Above the footing there was evidence of walls as high as one meter that would have been a later addition, built in the Song Dynasty (960-1279).

"By studying the ruins, we learned the techniques these people would have used -- how they built a city," Chen said. "They dug a trench, filled it with interlaced stone and wood, before compacting it with earth."

"The discovery verifies descriptions in historical data about the development of Fuzhou city," said Lou Jianlong, head of the cultural relics and archaeological research institute of the Fujian museum.