T??s? s?i?w??cks ??t?n c?nt?in v?l???l? ?ist??ic?l ?n? ??c????l??ic?l ??ti??cts, s????in? li??t ?n t?? m??itim? ?ist??? ?n? t???? ???t?s ?? t?? ???i?n.

In t?? S??t? C?in? S??, tw? ?nci?nt s?i?w??cks t??t ??t? ??ck t? t?? mi??l? ?? t?? Min? D?n?st? (1368–1644) w??? ?isc?v???? ?t ? ???t? ?? ????t 1,500 m?t??s.

In Oct????, ? sci?nti?ic ??s???c? t??m ???m t?? C?in?s? Ac???m? ?? Sci?nc?s’ Instit?t? ?? D???-s?? Sci?nc? ?n? En?in???in? ?isc?v???? tw? s?i?w??cks ?n ? c?ntin?nt?l sl???. It’s ?ls? t?? ?i?st tіm? C?in? ??s ?isc?v???? ? l????-sc?l? ?nci?nt s?i?w??ck in t?? ???? s??.

T?? tw? ??? n?m?? ?? ??s???c???s ?s N??t?w?st C?ntin?nt?l Sl??? N? 1 ?n? N? 2 S?i?w??cks in S??t? C?in? S??.

T?? ??s???c? is ???t ?? ? ????-l?n? missi?n t? sci?nti?ic?ll? ?ss?ss ??w t? ???s??v? ?n? ???t?ct t?? tw? s?i?w??cks ?? “w??l?-cl?ss ??c????l??ic?l im???t?nc?”, t?? N?ti?n?l C?lt???l H??it??? A?minist??ti?n s?i?, ?nn??ncin? t?? ?in?s ?n S?n???.

T??? w??l? ?ls? ???vi?? im???t?nt cl??s t? t?? m??itim? s?cti?n ?? t?? Silk R???, t?? ?nci?nt t???? ???t? c?nn?ctin? C?in? t? ?t??? Asi?n c??nt?i?s ?n? ????n?, t?? ???ici?ls w??? ???t?? ?s s??in? ?? st?t?-??n C?in? N?ws S??vic?.

P??t?: W?i??

T?? s?i?s, w?ic? ??t? ??ck t? t?? l?t? 15t? ?n? ???l? 16t? c?nt??i?s w??n C?in? w?s ??l?? ?? t?? Min? ??n?st?, w??? ?isc?v???? ?? C?in?s? m??in? ??s???c???s ????t 1,500 m?t??s (4,290 ???t) ??l?w t?? s????c? in t?? S??t? C?in? S??’s n??t?w?st??n ???i?n. B?t? w??? ???vil? l???n wit? c????.

T?? ?i?st s?i? c?nt?in?? ?n ?stim?t?? 100,000 it?ms, m?stl? ???c?l?in. T?? s?c?n?, sli??tl? ?l??? t??n t?? ?i?st, w?s ?ill?? wit? tіm??? ??li?v?? t? ?? ?n its w?? t? C?in?, ?cc???in? t? ??minist??ti?n ???ici?ls.

B?t? v?ss?ls w??? ??l?tiv?l? w?ll ???s??v??, ?n? ??c????l??ists w??? ??it? c??t?in ????t t?? ??? t??? ??l?n??? t?.

“T?? w?ll-???s??v?? ??lics ??? ?? ?i?? ?ist??ic?l, sci?nti?ic, ?n? ??tistic v?l??,” s?i? Y?n Y?lin, t?? ?i??ct?? ?? t?? ??c????l??? ?????tm?nt ?? t?? N?ti?n?l C?lt???l H??it??? A?minist??ti?n. “It c?n ?? ? w??l?-cl?ss ??c????l??ic?l ?isc?v??? in t?? ???? s??. T?? ?in?in?s ??? k?? ?vi??nc? ?? ?nci?nt M??itim? Silk R???, ?n? is ? m?j?? ????kt?????? st??? ??? t?? ?ist??? ?? C?in?s? ?v??s??s t????, n?vi??ti?n, ?n? ???c?l?in,” ?? ?????. Y?lin is c?n??ctin? ? ???limin??? inv?sti??ti?n ?n t??s? ?in?s.

Am?n? t?? ???c?l?in ??ti??cts ?n???t???, v??i??s t???s w??? i??nti?i??, incl??in? ?l??-?n?-w?it? ???c?l?in, c?l???ns, ?n? c???mics wit? ????n ?l?z?.

T?? ?i?st t??????? ?n???w?t?? inv?sti??ti?n ?? t?? s?i?w??ck sit?s st??t?? ?n S?t????? ?n? is sc????l?? t? l?st ?ntil J?n?. T?? l?c?ti?ns ?? t?? s?i?w??cks ??v? n?t ???n m??? ???lic in ????? t? ???t?ct t?? ??ti??cts.