科技英语新闻:Chinese archeologists find evidence of agricultural activity in ancient city

BEIJING, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese archeologists have found evidence indicating that the mysterious ancient city of Loulan (Kroraina) once had highly-developed agricultural systems.

Scientists from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences conducted remote sensing procedures, field investigations and sample testing in the area and found that there were once large tracts of farmlands in Loulan.

The farmland featured regular and straight circumferences stretching for 200 to 1,000 meters as well as irrigation ditches running throughout, said Qin Xiaoguang, a member of the research team.

Moreover, researchers found grain particles in the area's ground surface, which are very likely to be remains of crop plants, Qin said.

These findings show that irrigation farming had been practiced in Loulan for at least 100 years, Qin said.

Qin said they also found canal remains measuring 10 to 20 meters wide and 1.6 meters deep in the Loulan relics, indicating that the city, which is suspected of perishing in drought, was once rich in water resources.

The ancient city was a pivotal stop along the famous Silk Road, but mysteriously disappeared around the third century AD.

Previous historical records suggested that Loulan's economy was sustained by widespread agricultural activity, but no remains or other evidence had been found before the most recent discoveries.