The imperial tombs of Gumie Kingdom in the Western Zhou Dynasty (c.11th century-771 BC) unearthed in Qujiang. [Photo/zj.zjol.com.cn]

Archeologists recently discovered town ruins dating back to the Shang and Zhoushan dynasties (c.16th century-256 BC) in Qujiang district, Quzhou, East China's Zhejiang province, local media reported on Dec 29.

In 2019, the imperial tombs of Gumie Kingdom in the Western Zhou Dynasty (c.11th century-771 BC) was unearthed in Qujiang, and since then, local archeologists have been carrying out archaeological excavations in the area.

Relics unearthed from the town ruins in Qujiang. [Photo/zj.zjol.com.cn]

In November this year, archeologists discovered city wall ruins around the imperial tombs in Shijiaoshan village. The city wall is believed to have been established in the same period as the imperial tombs.

Judging from the mud in the ruins, the area around Shijiaoshan is believed to have been a small-scale residential zone 3,000 years ago, protected by loam walls and ditches.

"The residential zone was probably inhabited by the buried people or builders of the imperial tombs," said Zhang Sen from the Zhejiang Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, adding that research into the town ruins is even more valuable than the tombs.