Across China: Modern technology empowers archaeology, preservation at Liangzhu site in east China

BEIJING, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) -- Modern technology continues to play a pivotal role in preserving, excavating and perpetuating the Liangzhu Archaeological Ruins in east China's Zhejiang Province, with recent breakthroughs highlighting this synergy, including the discovery of a rectangular, wall-like structure on the outskirts of the ancient city.

Preliminary assessments suggest it may be a royal mausoleum, potentially making it one of China's earliest known imperial burial sites and pushing back the timeline of the country's mausoleum system by thousands of years.

EMPOWERING DISCOVERY

This new archaeological discovery is largely attributable to an "air-sky-land-digital" integrated survey method for large-scale sites, developed by a team led by Wang Ningyuan, an expert at the Zhejiang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology.

He explained that the method combines multiple layers: "air" for drones and aerial photography, "sky" for satellite imagery, "land" for traditional fieldwork, and "digital" for comprehensive geographic information systems (GIS) mapping.

This methodology has consistently yielded landmark findings since the Liangzhu ruins were first uncovered. In 2009, GIS technology helped identify the outer city, confirming the ancient city's tripartite layout. By 2011, analysis of the 1969 satellite imagery led to the discovery of the dam system, which revealed the basic framework of the hydraulic network.

Subsequent findings include the GIS-assisted confirmation of the ancient spillway in 2020, and the remote sensing detection of over 20 new dams and four longitudinal ridges between 2021 and 2024, which ultimately revealed the comprehensive structure of the Liangzhu water management system.

Based on these discoveries, archaeologists have gradually pieced together how the Liangzhu ancestors evolved from scattered settlements to a great city-state.

"Modern technological approaches have played a revolutionary role in the archaeological work at Liangzhu," Wang said. "They have enabled the identification of various functional structures that traditional methods could not detect, fundamentally reshaping our understanding of Liangzhu as an early state society."

SAFEGUARDING HERITAGE

The application of technology extends beyond discovery to preservation and protection. In Liangzhu, modern technologies serve as both the "eyes" to detect buried ruins and the "shield" to protect the ancient city.

At the Tiger Ridge Dam site, a massive white protective shell envelops the 5,000-year-old hydraulic structure. Inside this enclosure, water level gauges, infrared cameras, and a miniature weather station continuously monitor humidity, temperature and water levels. Should any data deviate from the norm, an automated drainage system activates immediately.

Across the entire 162-square-kilometer ruins zone, surveillance cameras, unmanned aerial vehicle sites, and fiber-optic sensing cables buried underground form an integrated, intelligent monitoring network. This pioneering practice addresses a global challenge: preserving archaeological structures in southern China's humid climate.

According to Sun Haibo, director of the Cultural Relics and Heritage Administration under the Hangzhou Liangzhu Archaeological Ruins Management Committee, a digital intelligence application system, assisting excavation, conservation, research and utilization functions, has been developed to better safeguard the site and its historical landscape.

This intelligent system is supported by a dense network of sensors and cameras, continuously transmitting real-time environmental data to a central monitor. Any detected anomaly will trigger an automatic alert, enabling a response within 30 minutes.

Furthermore, the ancient Liangzhu city continues to enhance its digital visiting experience, making the ancient culture more accessible and engaging through technology. Visitors can scan a QR code in the archaeological park to instantly "see" a palace from the Neolithic Age appear on their phone screens.

This summer, the launch of the brand-new VR project has taken the experience to new heights. Guests can put on VR headsets to "travel" back to the Liangzhu city of 5,000 years ago, where they will witness ancient people tilling in rice fields, crafting jade in workshops, and holding sacrificial ceremonies in the square. This immersive 35-minute experience allows visitors to witness the rise and fall of this ancient civilization. ■