Scientists find what could be the face of a king at an ancient pyramid in China
- The portrait is among many stone carvings uncovered at the 4,200-year-old Shimao site in Shaanxi province
- While its ruling class remains a mystery, archaeologist says recent find might be an image of the Shimao ancestors’ king
A team of archaeologists say they have found what could be the portrait of a king carved into stone at the foot of a huge prehistoric pyramid in northwest China.
But unlike other ancient pyramid structures, which mostly served religious purposes, Shimao had a practical use: at the top of it stood a palace spanning more than 80,000 sq metres – about the size of 10 soccer fields.
Archaeologists have uncovered complex structures in the palace including a garden pool where crocodiles were kept.
It overlooked a vast walled city – 50 times bigger than the palace – with courtyards, streets and public squares all built with stone.
DNA analysis suggests that most residents of this metropolis were Chinese, however the identity of its ruling class remains a mystery since the ancient civilisation appears to have vanished suddenly 3,800 years ago and there are no known mentions of it in any historical texts.
But Professor Shao Jing, deputy lead archaeologist of the Shimao excavation team, told state news agency Xinhua on Monday that they had recently uncovered some of the largest sculptures at the site so far – and one could be the portrait of a king.