Archaeologists probing the secrets of Stonehenge, Britain's most famous prehistoric monument said on Monday, it may have been an ancient pilgrimage site for the sick who believed its stones had healing qualities.
It has always been a mystery why bluestones, the smaller stones that form part of the circle, were transported around 155 miles from Preseli Hills in Wales to WiltshIre in southem England. Archaeologists from Boumemouth Ur:uversity, who carried out the dig in April the first at Stonehenge since 1964-believe the bluestones were revered as healing stones. "It was the magical qualities these stones which.., transformed the monument and made it a place of pilgrimage for the sick and injured of the Neolithic world," a statement from the archaeologist team said.Geoffrey Wainwright, president of the Society of Antiquaries of London and one of the experts leading the work, told BBC radio that one reason which lead to the conclusion was because anumber of the burials around Stonehenge showed signs of trauma and deformity.
The archaeologists said in the statement that radio-carbon dating put the construction of the circle of bluestones at between 2,400 B.C. and 2,200 B.C.,afew centuries later than originally thought, But they found fragments of charcoal dating from before 7,000 B.C., showing humans were active in the area much earlier than previously thought.
During the excavation at the World Heritage Site on Salisbury Plain,the researchers also fourtd a beiker pottery fragment, Roman ceramics and ancient stone hammers. "We now know, mucb to our surprise and delight, that Stonehenge was not just prehistoric monument, it was a Roman and mediaeval monument," said Wainwright, Another of the team leaders, Tim Darvill of Boumemouth University , said the bluestones appeared central to the purpose of Stonehenge although it may have had more than one function. Other theories about Stonehenge are that it was a religious site or that it acted as a calendar.
One of the world's most ancient and historically important trade routes, the Silk Road conjures up exotic images of camel caravans, windswept deserts and such legendary figures as Genghis Khan and Marco Polo. Extending from as far as the Indian kingdoms in the west to present day Xi'an in China in the east, the Silk Road had, by the third centry B.C.,already became a cross roads of Asia.
Skirting the edges of the harsh and inhospitable Taklimakan desert, the Silk Road actually had several different branches, each passing through different oasis. All roads began in Chang'an (Xi'an). The northem route wound its way through places such as Turfan and Kuqa before finally ending at Kashgar. Them route followed the lower thnges of the Taklimakan eventually reaching the same destination. Numerous other routes were also plied through out the years, reaching all the way to
Silk was not the only commodity traveling the Silk Road. Other goods such as exotic animals, ivory and gold were also transported along the route. It was silk, though, which fascinated the Romans. Agents were sent from Rome to explore the route and to obtain the material at a lower price. The Romans, however, did not give the Silk Road its name. The term was actuallycoined by the 19th-centuryGerman scholar Baron Ferdinand von Richthofen.
丝绸并不是丝绸之路上运送的唯一商品。其他货物如奇珍异兽、象牙,及黄金等也通过丝绸之路运输。不过格外令罗马人着迷的还是丝绸。罗马派遣代理商探测这条路线,并以较低的价格购得丝绸。然而,“丝绸之路”的名称并不是罗马人起的。这个名称是19世纪时一名叫Baron Ferdinand von Richthofen的德国学者首创的。
Not long after the Tang dynasty era (618-907), when trade along the Silk Road had reached its zenith, the fearsomeGenghis Khan and his Mongol armies conquered a vast area spanning much of Central Asia. Accordingly, the Silk Road became an important communication route between different parts of the Mongol Empire. During the ruleof Kublai,more Europeans began venturing towards China along the Silk Road.The most famous of these travelers was Marco Polo, whose thoughts and
adventures were later recorded and embellished by an Italian romance writer.
During the 14th century , with the disintegration of the Mongol Empire, the isolationist policies of the Ming Dynasty and the development of the silk route by sea, the Silk Road was forced into decline. Renewed interest in it emerged among Westem scholars only near the end of the 19th century . The existence of ancient cities excited them, and an archaeological free-for-all began. These days, those seeking out treasures of the Silk Road can find them in such far-flung places as London, Delhi, and Berlin.
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Brussels Sunday for a state visit to Belgium, the first ever made by a Chinese head of state to the country in 27 years.
Belgium is the last leg of Xi Jinping's four-nation European trip. Before Belgium, he visited the Netherlands, France and Germany, and attended the third Nuclear Security Summit in The Hague .
Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on China and Germany to work together to build the Silk Road economic belt.
Xi Jinping made the remarks during a visit to Port of Duisburg, the world's biggest inland harbor and a transport and logistics hub of Europe.
He said China's proposal of building the Silk Road economic belt, based on the idea of common development and prosperity, aims to better connect the Asian and European markets, will enrich the idea of the Silk Road with a new meaning, and benefit all the people along the belt.
The Chinese leader expressed the hope that Port of Duisburg will play a bigger role in the China-Germany and China-Europe cooperation.
One of the world's most ancient and historically important trade routes,the Silk Road conjures up exotic images of camel caravans,windswept deserts,and such legendary figures as Genghis Khan and Marco Polo.Extending as far as the Indian kingdoms in the west,to present-day Xian in China in the east,the Silk Road was already a crossroads of Asia by the third century B.C.
Since I was very small,there was a song about Guilin“I want to Guilin,but when I have money,I don’t have time…’’,this is the first impression I have on Guilin,it is so attracting.As the song’s great power,I said to myself,when I grew up,I must go toGuilin.When I was in high school,I had the chance to visit there,in the summer holiday,my mother asked me to go there with her to visit an old friend.I was so excited,my long dream would come true.I packed my stuff,went to the bus.In the morning,we arrived atGuilin,this was the first time I got so close to it,I took a deep breath,watching all the things in the street.During the summer holiday,I visited all the scene there,they were so beautiful,no wonder people said“Guilin’s scenery ranks first”.