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2,200-Year-Old Chinese highway
January 2 , 2026
12 hrs 0 min
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- Archaeologists in China have unearthed a 2,200-year-old Qin Straight Road, a 900 km highway built by Emperor Qin Shi Huang.
- The road runs from Xianyang to Jiuyuan and was constructed between 212 BC and 207 BC under the supervision of General Meng Tian.
- It was designed for rapid troop movements against Xiongnu nomads and featured rammed earth, filled valleys, and straight trenches, creating a level path 40–60 meters wide.
- Excavations in Yulin, Shaanxi, revealed a 13-km stretch, showing compacted roadbeds, reinforced slopes, and evidence of heavy use.
- A nearby relay station contained Qin-to-Han ceramics, confirming its long-term strategic and commercial importance.
- The highway is considered “the ancestor of the world’s highways”, second only to the Great Wall in scale and defence function.
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