Scientists find ancient imperial garden
1/6/2006 10:24
Archeologists have developed a clear image of a 2,000-year-old imperial
garden found in Guangdong Province by studying more than 100,000 seeds found in
an ancient well at the site.
Various kinds of vegetation including banyan
trees and waxberries were planted more than 2,000 years ago in the imperial
garden, which belonged to the Southern Yue state, archeologists said.
The
garden is the oldest imperial garden excavated in China.
"It was without
doubt an elegant garden decorated by a plethora of flowers and trees," said Zhao
Zhijun, a researcher with the Institute of Archeology under the Chinese Academy
of Social Sciences.
"Members of the royal family of the Southern Yue enjoyed
beautiful scenery in the garden while tasting delicious fruits such as lychees,
melons, persimmon, dates, grapes and apples," Zhao said.
A large amount of
waxberry stones and melon seeds have been discovered in an ancient well in the
garden. This is the first time melon remains were found in Guangdong Province,
according to archeologists.
Archeologists also found wax gourd seeds in the
well, which are the earliest to be discovered in the country.
"It's widely
believed in academic circles that wax gourd originated in China. But evidence
has never backed that up until we discovered these wax gourd seeds in the
garden," Zhao said. The seeds not only tell archeologists about the life of
nobility of the Southern Yue state, but also the long history of the cultivation
of fruit and vegetables in China, said Zhao.
(Xinhua)
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