Large ancient granary relics found in North China

Ruins of a large granary, along with ancient jars, pots, bowls and coins, have been discovered in North China's Hebei province, local authorities said Sunday.

Covering an area of some 52,000 square meters in Linxi county, the granary ruins are believed to have been constructed during the Tang Dynasty(618-907). Ruins of 19 grain bins were found in the granary. Archeologists said the bins were cylindrical with a diameter of six to ten meters and were made of cedarwood and earth.

Yang Zunyi, chief editor of the local chronicles of Linxi, said the county is near the Sui-Tang grand canal linking Beijing and Hangzhou, and the area was a major grain warehouse during the Tang Dynasty.

The discovery is important for the study of ancient waterway grain transportation and the construction of ancient warehouses, researchers said.