Yanghai archaeological site & karez wells (Shanshan, Xinjiang)

Ref: 070706-2249     Date: 06-07-2007

Yanghai archaeological site was occupied from approximately the 12th to the 1st centuries BC. The site, located south of the Flaming Mountains, comprises both settlement remains and cemeteries. The crater shaped structure (to the left) is a karez well. It funnels meltwater from the Bogda Shan mountains (a branch of the Tian Shan - north of the Flaming Mountains) into the Turfan Basin where it can be used for irrigation and for domestic purposes. Evidence suggests that karez wells were used in Turfan circa 18th to 21th centuries AD. One of Yanghai's cemeteries is in the foreground. The blue building is a local Heritage Protection Station.