Better picture

In 1999, archaeologists discovered Huanbei Shang City, on the northern outskirts of Anyang, Henan province, and have carried out work at the ancient site.

Studies have shown that the city, located to the north of the Huanhe River, was probably a capital in the middle stage of the Shang Dynasty. It existed for about 50 to 60 years before it was destroyed in a mysterious fire and was abandoned. Then, constructions were built on the other side of the river now known as Yinxu Ruins, according to He Yuling, a researcher with the Institute of Archaeology, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, who has been engaged in the archaeological work on Huanbei Shang City.

Yinxu was the first independent excavation project carried out by Chinese academics almost a century ago, from which people discovered oracle bone inscriptions. It now holds a sacred place in the annals of China's archaeological history.

Last year, sacrificial pits and trenches surrounding the royal graves were discovered at Yinxu, enhancing people's understanding of Shang burial customs. Also last year, a new round of research started on the Huanbei Shang City, with the aim of gaining a better picture of its precise layout.

The biggest discovery this time, according to He, is that they identified moats, and two parts on the moats which obviously narrowed. This discovery could imply existence of passages through which people could go into and out of the city.

What they used to believe to be the foundation trench of the city walls was identified to actually be the city's moat.