Ground Paved with High Standard Lotus Pattern Bricks of Tang Dynasty Discovered on the Site of Bashbaliq City

On September 13, the largest archaeological excavation on the Site of Bashbaliq City achieved gratifying results. The relics unearthed on the site not only include coins of Kaiyuan Tongbao, eaves tile fragments, and pantile fragments, but also the ground paved with high standard lotus pattern bricks of the Tang Dynasty. The use of such lotus pattern square bricks again proves that the Bashbaliq Protectorate, a high-ranking ruling government, was very prosperous at that time.

At the beginning of May, the Xinjiang Archaeological Team of the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences launched the archaeological excavation on the Site of Bashbaliq City, which is the largest one to date. Up to now, the team has excavated more than 50 square trial trenches and 6 trial trenches during the exploration.

The academic and cultural circles once had disputes over the construction time of the outer city of the Bashbaliq City. In this archaeological excavation, archaeologists found a piece of Kaiyuan Tongbao in the rammed soil of the north gate of the city. This Kaiyuan Tongbao provided strong evidence that it was unlikely that the outer city wall was constructed before the issuance of Kaiyuan Tongbao in Tang Dynasty.

In addition, on the south side of the north gate of the inner city, archaeologists discovered the ground paved with lotus pattern bricks, which was very popular in Tang Dynasty. The pear roundel pattern on bricks were introduced from Persia through Central Asia along the ancient Silk Roads, and then finally entered the Central Plains of ancient China. The lotus pattern bricks found in the Bashbaliq City has proved that the Bashbaliq Protectorate was once a high-ranking governing authority in the north Xinjiang region, and also a prosperous region at that time.