5 geographical mysteries

Loulan is an ancient small country in the west of China. Loulan disappeared about 16 years ago, leaving only a relic of the ancient city. The ancient city of Loulan is located at 89 22 ′ 22 ″ in the east and 4 29 ′ 55 ″ in the north of Ruoqiang County, Bayinguoleng Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, 7 kilometers from the northwest corner of Lop Nur and the south bank of Peacock River.

names of ancient western regions. Capital Loulan City (the site is on the northwest bank of Lop Nur, Xinjiang, China). Southwest connects Qiemo, Jingjue, Zhami, Yutian, north connects Cheshi, northwest connects Yanqi, east connects Bailongdui, and connects Dunhuang, which is the crossroads of the Silk Road. Chinese belong to Indo-European race. At the beginning of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, envoys passed through Loulan. Loulan has been the eyes and ears of Xiongnu for many times, and attacked and robbed the messengers of Han Dynasty. In the third year of Yuanfeng (the first 18 years), Han sent troops to beg Loulan and captured his king. Loulan surrendered to the Han Dynasty and was attacked by the Huns, so he sent his servants to surrender to both sides. After that, the Xiongnu servant An returned to be the King of Loulan, so he kissed the Xiongnu. Wang Diwei tu Jian went to the Han Dynasty and reported the situation to the Han Dynasty. In the fourth year of Emperor Zhao Yuanfeng (77 BC), Han sent Fu Jiezi to Loulan, assassinated An Gui, made Tu Jian the king, changed his name to Shanshan, and moved his capital to Mud City (now near Ruoqiang, Xinjiang). Later, the Han government often sent officials and soldiers to station fields in the hometown of Loulan City, from Yumenguan to Loulan, and set up beacon towers and barriers along the way. During the Wei and Jin Dynasties and the former cool period, Loulan City became the governor of the Western Regions.

Loulan Ancient City

China Wei, Jin and Qianliang Dynasties were the places where the long history of the Western Regions was ruled. Located in the northwest of Lop Nur, Xinjiang. It was named after the Chinese documents unearthed in the site called the city "Kuluo Laina" with the antithesis of "Loulan" and "Lu Lu Wen". At the beginning of the 2th century, the British Stein and others came here many times to steal and dig. After 195s, China scholars made investigations and excavations.

The plane of the ancient city is nearly square, with a side length of about 33 meters, almost all of which are buried by quicksand. The city wall is rammed with clay and red willow strips alternately. There is an ancient canal that runs obliquely through the city from northwest to southeast. There is an octagonal domed adobe stupa in the northeast of the canal. On the earthen platform of Tarnum, there are a group of tall wooden architectural relics, which have unearthed Chinese, Bolu documents, bamboo slips, five baht money, silk wool products, household appliances and so on. In the middle of the southwest of the canal, there are three large wooden adobe houses. A large number of Chinese documents, wooden slips and early Sogdian and Bolu documents have been unearthed in and around the houses, which are estimated to be the remains of the official offices. A group of courtyards in the west may be official mansions, and short houses are distributed in the south. All kinds of documents and bamboo slips unearthed in the city are called Lop Nur documents.

Present situation of relics

Loulan ancient city now covers an area of 12, square meters, which is close to a square with a side length of about 33 meters. The whole site is scattered in Yadan landform group on the west bank of Lop Nur.

Tourism

The site of Loulan Ancient City is 35 kilometers northwest of Korla City and 33 kilometers southwest of Ruoqiang County.

Loulan civilization

Loulan country in history

According to Biography of Dawan in Historical Records and Biography of Hanshu in Western Regions, as early as the 2nd century, Loulan was a famous "country with city walls" in the western regions. It connects Dunhuang in the east, Yanqi and Yuli in the northwest and Ruoqiang and Qiemo in the southwest. The south and north roads of the ancient Silk Road diverged from Loulan.

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The mystery of Loulan's disappearance

After the 4th century AD, Loulan Kingdom suddenly disappeared. Water diversion? Invasion?

the discovery of the ancient city of Loulan

In p>19, the ancient city of Loulan was rediscovered. Some say it was discovered by farmers in Xinjiang, and some say it was discovered by Swedish explorer Sven Hedin. During the inspection in the early 2th century, a large number of Loulan cultural relics were taken away by foreign investigation groups.

Lop Nur was once the largest lake in the arid area of northwest China, with a surface area of 12, square kilometers, and it still reached 5 square kilometers at the beginning of last century. In that year, Loulan people built an ancient city of Loulan with more than 1, square meters beside Lop Nur, but it eventually dried up in 1972. What caused Lop Nur, once rich in water and fish, to become a vast desert? What caused the Silk Road's crossroads-the ancient city of Loulan became a deserted desert Gobi? This has always been a scientific mystery.

Recently, the scientific investigation team of environmental drilling in Lop Nur, Chinese Academy of Sciences conducted a comprehensive and systematic environmental scientific investigation in Lop Nur. According to the preliminary inference, with the rapid uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau 7, to 8, years ago, Lop Nur moved from south to north, and the drought gradually intensified, which eventually led to the drying up of the whole lake. Such an explanation is obviously not satisfactory. Professor Zhou Kunshu from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of China Academy of Sciences thinks that the reasons for the dry up of Lop Nur are very complicated. This is not only a global problem, but also a regional problem. In addition to natural reasons, there are also human factors.

1. Global climate drought is the background

About 1, years ago, the earth's environment changed unprecedentedly, that is, from the dry and cold environment in the last glacial period to the humid environment in the post-glacial period. Taking this opportunity, human culture also entered the Neolithic period from the Paleolithic period. After 1, years, the geological environment has undergone three major stages of changes, namely, the warming period is about 1, to 8, years ago, the high temperature period is about 8, to 3, years ago (climate suitable period), and the cooling period is about 3, years ago. These three environmental pattern changes have been confirmed by paleoenvironmental studies of geology, biology, chemistry and physics, but the time of three-stage division is slightly different due to different methods, places or research objects. This change of environment and climate has planned the scope and mode of human activities.

Take Loulan as an example. Humans set foot here in the Neolithic Age. In the Bronze Age, the population was prosperous. At this time, it was in the high temperature period. Lop Nur had a vast lake and a suitable environment. However, after entering the cooling zone, the water and soil environment became worse, the rivers decreased, the lakes decreased and the desert expanded. About 2 years ago, drought intensified, which was manifested in the occurrence of glacial transgression, the accumulation of loess, the disappearance of lakes and marshes, and the occurrence of regression in the vast areas of northern China.

The ancient city of Loulan disappeared from around A.D. to the 4th century (from the Han Dynasty to the Northern Wei Dynasty in the Central Plains), which was the period of intensified drought. In fact, in this process of drought, not only the ancient city of Loulan died, but also Niya, Kaladun, Milan City, Nyrang City, Khan City and Tongwan City died successively due to the expansion of the desert.

The disappearance of the ancient city of Loulan took place in the northern part of China, even in the context of the world's climate drought. It is not an isolated space, but because Loulan is in the arid inland, the changes of human and natural environment here are more remarkable.

Second, the uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is a regional factor

Besides the global climate change, the uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is the most important reason in regionality. 7, to 8, years ago, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau rose rapidly. This uplift plays a decisive role in the climate of northwest China. Lop Nur is located in the northwest inland of East Asia. Every year, warm and humid air currents from the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean rarely reach here.

when the global climate changes, drought, desertification and Gobi have begun to appear in the whole western East Asia. During this period, Lop Nur began to move from south to north. Around 7, years ago, the lake dropped sharply to the bottom of the lake. Due to the rugged topography at the bottom of the lake, the ancient Lop Nur, which was originally huge and unified, was divided into taitema lake, Kara Heshun Lake and the larger Lop Nur in the north.

among the regional factors, one more thing must be noted. It is said that judging from the recent remote sensing data, there was a major landslide event in the upper reaches of Peacock River. The landslide blocked the entire channel of Peacock River, causing the incoming water of Lop Nur to be cut off. The problem now is that we don't know the exact time of this landslide, and whether it happened before Lop Nur dried up remains to be studied.

Third, human overexploitation accelerates the demise of Lop Nur

The impact of human activities on the drying up of Lop Nur can be said to be increasing in the near future. Water and trees are the key to the survival of oasis in wasteland. The ancient city of Loulan was built in the downstream delta of Peacock River with developed water system at that time, and there was once a thriving Hu Yangshu for its construction. In those days, Loulan people built more than 1, square meters of Loulan ancient city near Lop Nur. They cut down many trees and reeds, which will undoubtedly have a negative effect on the environment.

during this period, the intensification of human activities, the change of water system and the destruction of war have further deteriorated the fragile ecological environment. The densely planted "male root stump" on the No.5 Xiaohe cemetery shows that Loulan people had felt the crisis of tribal survival at that time and had to pray for reproductive worship to protect their sons and grandchildren. However, they cut down a large number of already scarce trees, making the local environment worse.

the final drying up of lop Nur was related to the over-exploitation of the upper reaches of Tarim River after our liberation. When we diverted a large amount of water in the upper reaches of Tarim River, the water in Tarim River could not make ends meet, and the water in the lower reaches was cut off. This can be confirmed by the interruption of the Yellow River in recent years. Lop Nur also began to shrink rapidly and eventually died out because there was no water supply.

Fourth, the disappearance of the ancient city of Loulan became a "great regret"

When it comes to the ancient city of Loulan, people will think of the Swedish explorer Sven Hedin, because he first announced the existence of the ancient city of Loulan in 191.

On March 28th, 19, Sven Hedin, a Swedish explorer, was visiting the Rob Desert. Erdik, a Uighur farmer who was hired by him as a donkey worker and guide, accidentally found an ancient site on the northwest bank of Lop Nur because he lost his tools. When Sven Hedin heard about it, he immediately followed Erdik to the site and found that the ancient site was littered with beautiful wood carvings, fabrics and coins.

Sven Hedin had to return for lack of drinking water. After a year's preparation, on March 3, 191, Sven Hedin made a special trip to this site and carried out a week's excavation work. After sorting out and analyzing, He Ding named this relic as Loulan according to the word Loulan in the unearthed documents. This important discovery shocked the world and won great honor for Sven Hedin.

Later, British Stein and Japanese Orange Ruichao all found Loulan site along Heding's road map. Their excavation work was more thorough and meticulous, but it was also destructive and predatory. These works have become an important geographical basis for Loulan's exploration in the future.

Although it is difficult to recognize the former face of Loulan City from the Gobi and Yadan landforms, scientists have found from a large number of materials and investigations that Loulan City, which was abandoned for 1,5 years on the Silk Road, was once brilliant. According to experts' analysis, Loulan remains have a history of 18 years. After being looted by wind and sand, only the broken Populus euphratica wooden frame and a small number of reed walls remain. Judging from the size and building materials of the house, the housing conditions of ordinary people were relatively simple at that time, but a large number of fine woodwork and ancient coins left in the ruins reminded people that there were also many rich families in Loulan City. Experts believe that there has been a polarization between the rich and the poor in Loulan City. At the same time, these wooden products show us the exquisite craftsmanship of carpentry at that time and the prosperity of Loulan economy. Experts found that there are dozens of houses like this, and they are concentrated in the west of the city to form a residential area, while in the east of the city there are administrative and military areas respectively. The city has complete functions and clear layout, and the awareness of urban planning and development is obvious