Abstract
Previously unrecognized two ruins are recognized in the lower reaches of the Heihe River, China, based on the interpretation from the high-resolution satellite image, the QuickBird Image, and their significance was discussed.
One is the Bj2008 ruins situated at about 8 km northeast direction from the Green City ruins, having nearly a square in plane shape and from 120cm to 140cm each side. This size is nearly the same as the ruins of K710 and K688, both considered to belonging in the Former Han dynasty. Fragments of earthenware scattered around the Bj2008 ruins are mainly of the former Han dynasty and a small number of the Xixa and Yuen dynasty. These suggest the Bj2008 ruins are of the Former Han dynasty.
The Bj2008 ruins also situated nearly on the line from the A1 ruins to the Thirtieth well ruins and about 25 km from the latter. Above mentioned suggests the Bj2008 ruins have constructed as one of the essential wall-surrounded city on the area planning of the lowerer reaches of the Heihe River in the Form Han dynasty.
Direction of the diagonal line from the northwestern corner to the southeastern of the Bj2008 ruins roughly apparel to those of the strong winds formed the yardan topography surrounding them. This fact suggests the direction of the strong winds was also considered for making the wall-surrounded city.
Land patterns like the Honeycomb also interpreted from the QuickBird Image. The patterns are resemble to the outian system , a kind of farming techniques for saving water used in China, especially promoted in arid and semi-arid region in Yuen Dynasty.
This land patterns situated about 1 km to south direction from the Green City ruins and the cast of a small canal flowing here from the fragments of two house remnant of the Xixa. Some parts of the surface undulation are reverse to the outian system of the text and the diameter of the relatively higher part, 1m to 5m, is also larger than the text. So, these land patterns are named the pseudo-outian system. Anyway, this is the first time that the land patterns of the outian system or the pseudo-outian system actually recognized at the fields.
My presentation will give the information on new ruins discovered from the high-resolution satellite images and their significance, in case of the lower reaches of the Heihe River, China
data for reconstruction of the water usage in the ancient times in the arid regions of China.
I graduated doctoral course in geography of Tokyo University and my major field is physical geography. I have interested in the terrestrial conditions of ruins along the Silk-Route of the oases route in the Central Asia and China, and visited many ruins such as the Lou-lan, Miran, Kara-hoto etc. Interpretation of air-photographs and the high resolution satellite images and fields survey are my main methods.
