CHENGDU, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese archaeologists will soon start a new round of excavation at an underwater treasure site to the south of the city of Chengdu, where more than 10,000 gold and silver items were recovered last year.
The new excavation aims to discover the scope of site, which is located at the intersection of Minjiang River and Jinjiang River, and why and how the relics ended up being there over 300 years ago.
Archaeologists said they expected the actual treasure site would be greater than 1 million square meters.
Preparatory work has started at the site. Excavators are removing sand and pebbles from the riverbed, and water pumps are draining water away.
The items recovered last year included a large amount of gold, silver and bronze coins, and jewelry as well as iron weapons such as swords, knives and spears.
It is said that in 1646, peasant uprising leader Zhang Xianzhong was defeated in the area by Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) soldiers while attempting to transfer his treasure to the south. About 1,000 boats loaded with money and valuables sank during the skirmish.
