BEIJING (AFP) - Chinese archaeologists have discovered a section of
the Great Wall straddling the Mongolian border that is the
northernmost remnant of the landmark yet found, state media reported
Wednesday.
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The remnants of the wall, found in the Bayannur district of China's
Inner Mongolia region, measures 2.3 metres (7.5 feet) wide and about
1.15 metres high, the Beijing News reported.
Built 2,100 years ago during the Han dynasty, the section also would
likely be one of the oldest sections of the wall, which was begun in
the reign of the emperor Qin Shi Huang, which began in 221 B.C.
The wall, constructed of stones, was found by a joint team headed by
the People's University's School of History, the paper said. No other
details were provided.
Built and rebuilt over the centuries, the Great Wall was intended as a
defence against northern barbarians.
Less than 2,500 kilometres (1,600 miles) remain of the original
6,300-kilometre structure, one of China's top tourist attractions and
a World Heritage Site.
