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Mysterious Rings Found At Tomb Of Chinese Only Empress
People's Daily - Xinhua ^ | 12-22-2006

Posted on 12/21/2006 2:55:55 PM PST by blam

Mysterious rings found at tomb of Chinese only empress

Chinese archaeologists have found a group of huge rings at the site of the 1,300-year-old tomb of Wu Zetian, China's only empress, but they are unable to explain their existence.

At least 10 rings appeared on aerial photographs taken by experts from the Xi'an Preservation and Restoration Center of Cultural Relics and Qianling Museum in a survey of Qianling.

Most of the rings were 30 to 40 meters in diameter and were in a zone four kilometers long from east to west and two kilometers from south to north, said Qin Jianming, a researcher with the center.

The most eye-catching was the largest ring, with the diameter of 110 meters sited in fields, he said.

Qin said the foundation of the largest ring was three meters thick, and the color was distinctly darker than the fields. Three quarters of the ring were clearly visible, despite being broken by a footpath.

"At first we believed the rings were atmospheric phenomena caused by lights, but after analysis and comparison with previous aerial photos, we are sure they are historic remains," he said.

Located 80 kilometers northwest of the ancient city of Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Qianling is the joint tomb of Wu Zetian, who ruled for 50 years, and her husband, Emperor Li Zhi of the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

It is the only tomb in China which contains the bodies of two rulers. Wu Zetian was buried in the tomb 22 years after her husband.

Qianling is the best preserved ancient tomb in China and has not been looted.

The researchers conducted a ground search for the rings three to five kilometers from Lianshan mountain range, which was the territory of Qianling, and they were difficult to see from the ground.

"The layout of the rings seems irregular and some are no longer intact. We are assuming there were more rings in the past, but they have eroded due to geographical conditions and human activities," said Qin.

Despite searches of historical records, the researchers still have no idea of the purpose of the rings or their relation with the tombs.

"Based on our experience, we assume they were tunnels built in ancient times," said Qin.

However, the center of the largest ring was an excavated tomb belonging to a ruler of the Yan State in the Tang Dynasty, which was a subsidiary tomb of Qianling, but it was uncertain if the ring was part of the tomb, said Fan Yingfeng, head of the Qianling Museum.

"Human activities in that area began in New Stone Age. Emperor Qin Shihuang built a palace there and rebellious forces in late Tang Dynasty occupied the area as well," he said.

Experts said the discovery indicated there might be more historic relics yet to be discovered in the Qianling area.

Source: Xinhua


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: chinese; empress; godsgravesglyphs; rings; tomb
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To: blam; FairOpinion; StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; 24Karet; 3AngelaD; 49th; ...
Thanks Blam.

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. Thanks.
Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on or off the
"Gods, Graves, Glyphs" PING list or GGG weekly digest
-- Archaeology/Anthropology/Ancient Cultures/Artifacts/Antiquities, etc.
Gods, Graves, Glyphs (alpha order)

21 posted on 12/21/2006 11:35:24 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Don't bother, I haven't updated my profile since 11/16/06. https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: blam

Olympics logos?


22 posted on 12/22/2006 5:11:50 AM PST by Hegemony Cricket (When music is banned, only the bands will have music.)
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To: 6SJ7
Stargate?

Definitely a herd of Chapa'ai.

23 posted on 12/22/2006 5:14:01 AM PST by Bloody Sam Roberts (This is my tagline. There are many like it but this one is mine.)
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To: RightWhale

There is a guy who admits and has demostrated how he and a couple of friends make the crop circles.


24 posted on 12/22/2006 6:31:01 AM PST by stockpirate (John Kerry & FBI files ==> http://www.freerepublic.com/~stockpirate/)
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To: blam


25 posted on 12/22/2006 6:37:46 AM PST by absolootezer0 (stop repeat offenders - don't re-elect them!)
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To: blam
When you said "huge ring", I thought you were talking about Rosie O'Donnell's device...



... but then I remembered that she doesn't need one.
26 posted on 12/22/2006 6:39:16 AM PST by StoneGiant (Power without morality is disaster. Morality without power is useless.)
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To: blam
Reminds me of the symbols in south America that can be seen from the air and look like some kind of landing fields.

Carolyn

27 posted on 12/22/2006 6:49:01 AM PST by CDHart ("It's too late to work within the system and too early to shoot the b@#$%^&s."--Claire Wolfe)
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To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle

You were calling me?


28 posted on 12/22/2006 8:00:34 AM PST by GreenLanternCorps (WHO DEY! WHO DEY! WHO DEY THINK GONNA BEAT DEM BENGALS!!!)
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To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle

In brightest day

in blackest night...

no evil shall escape my sight

for those who worship evils might...

Beware my Power, GREEN LANTERNS LIGHT!!!

29 posted on 12/22/2006 8:28:13 AM PST by GreenLanternCorps (WHO DEY! WHO DEY! WHO DEY THINK GONNA BEAT DEM BENGALS!!!)
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To: stockpirate

Crop circles?


30 posted on 12/22/2006 8:41:07 AM PST by RightWhale (RTRA DLQS GSCW)
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To: CDHart; SunkenCiv; blam

http://www.photogrammetry.ethz.ch/research/3Dmodels/nasca.html

this site has several 3D images, the one above is my favourite, it looks as if the lines existed before the mountain was 'washed away'

31 posted on 12/22/2006 5:55:00 PM PST by Fred Nerks (MEDIA + ENEMY = ENEMEDIA!)
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To: stockpirate

http://web.archive.org/web/20030529152233/http://www.cat.cc.md.us/~adeil450/contrivers.html

Doug and Dave.


32 posted on 12/22/2006 9:29:35 PM PST by Fred Nerks (MEDIA + ENEMY = ENEMEDIA!)
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To: Fred Nerks

I wonder if the Nazca lines weren't related to high-altitude agriculture -- analogous to the efforts of the Nabataeans (city of Petra) to capture runoff?


33 posted on 12/22/2006 10:00:43 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Don't bother, I haven't updated my profile since 11/16/06. https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: SunkenCiv

http://www.photogrammetry.ethz.ch/research/3Dmodels/images/whaleFlat.jpg

enlarge this 3D view.find the Whale. Look closely...if it rained, where would the water go? There are no cysterns, no dams and no terraces.


34 posted on 12/22/2006 10:24:52 PM PST by Fred Nerks (MEDIA + ENEMY = ENEMEDIA!)
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To: Fred Nerks

Keeping it from running off, so that it soaks in, perhaps?


35 posted on 12/22/2006 10:55:51 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Don't bother, I haven't updated my profile since 11/16/06. https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: SunkenCiv

I think this was the already quite sophisticated agricultural system employed throughout the area...

http://www.oas.org/dsd/publications/Unit/oea59e/ch27.htm


36 posted on 12/22/2006 11:18:33 PM PST by Fred Nerks (MEDIA + ENEMY = ENEMEDIA!)
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To: Fred Nerks

This reminds me of the Ant:

http://www.oas.org/dsd/publications/Unit/oea59e/p179.GIF


37 posted on 12/22/2006 11:52:06 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Don't bother, I haven't updated my profile since 11/16/06. https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: SunkenCiv

Ant?
As in the nest of ants???


38 posted on 12/23/2006 12:10:24 AM PST by Fred Nerks (MEDIA + ENEMY = ENEMEDIA!)
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To: Fred Nerks

Oh, I guess it's a spider:

http://www.webtre.it/Principale/QuadriCentraleLaterali/Misteri/AntAstronauti/Nazca.jpg


39 posted on 12/23/2006 12:37:39 AM PST by SunkenCiv (Don't bother, I haven't updated my profile since 11/16/06. https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: SunkenCiv
Oh, now I see what you mean...this site has some interesting images, particularly the one described as 'the foot of a huge bird...'

http://www.morien-institute.org/nazca4.html

...however it's hard to think of a reason why parallel straight lines would run across the pampas and over the tops of mountains...
40 posted on 12/23/2006 1:00:48 AM PST by Fred Nerks (MEDIA + ENEMY = ENEMEDIA!)
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