The unknown civilization that built the ancient pyramid vanished without traces. The recent discovery at the footstep of the pyramid could help archeologists identify it. The ancient city is home to immense fortifications and sophisticated infrastructure, thousands of luxurious artifacts and a 230-foot-high stepped pyramid.
During excavations at the 4,300-year-old Shimao pyramid in Shenmu, northwest China’s Shaanxi province, archaeologists have uncovered what appears to be a portrait of a king carved in stone.
The Shimao Archaeological Site is located in the northern part of the Loess Plateau, at the southern end of the Ordos Desert.
The site dates back to around 2000 BC and covers an area of approximately 400 hectares. Originally believed to be part of the Great Wall of China, Shimao’s walls were uncovered to be Neolithic in age after jade pieces were discovered at the site.
More than 70 meters tall, the pyramid there is almost half as high as the pyramids of Giza. In contrast to other ancient pyramids, Shimao was built with a practical purpose: at the peak stood a palace covering nearly ten football fields’ worth of space, or 80,000 square meters. READ MORE...
