China: Fragment of a woven rug from the buried city of Loulan, Taklamakan Desert, Xinjiang, c. 3rd-4th century CE. Loulan was an ancient kingdom based around an important oasis city already known in the 2nd century BCE on the northeastern edge of the Lop Desert. Loulan was an ancient kingdom along the Silk Road. In 108 BCE, the Han Dynasty forces defeated the armies of the Loulan kingdom and made it into a tributary state. In 77 BCE, Loulan came under the control of the Han Dynasty and was given the Chinese name of Shanshan. The site is now completely surrounded by desert.

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Size: 4300px × 4105px
Photo credit: © Pictures From History / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
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