Possible Ancient Palace Discovered in Central China

HENAN PROVINCE, CHINA—Newsweek reports that remains of a large, 4,000-year-old structure have been unearthed at the site of Xinmi, an ancient walled city located on the banks of the Zhenshui River in central China. The structure, thought to be part of a palace complex, had a rammed-earth foundation measuring about 200 feet long and 100 feet wide. Holes at the site indicate there were terraces on the southern and northern ends of the complex, cloisters to the east and west, and a central yard. Xinmi is said to have been built by the Longshan culture between 2100 and 1600 B.C., during the period of the legendary Xia Dynasty. To read about evidence for floods that Chinese histories tied to the founding of the Xia Dynasty, go to "China's Legendary Flood."