ANCIENT ENGINEERING GEOLOGY PROJECTS IN CHINA - A CANAL SYSTEM IN GANZU PROVINCE AND TRENCHES ALONG THE GREAT WALL IN NINGXIA-HUI AUTONOMOUS REGION

Two major construction projects of ancient times in China involved wha t today would be considered engineering geology. We describe an ancien t canal system in Gaotai County, Gansu province that was possibly begu n in the Han dynasty (206 BC-220 AD). The canal system beads at the Da sha River and extends northwestward for about 55 km to the City of Cam els and Xusanwan village. Four parallel canals are present at the loca l site we examined. The canals were likely built primarily to transpor t water but may also have served as defensive military barriers. A sec ond project involves trenches and berms along the north side of the Gr eat Wall, clearly part of the Great Wall defensive system. This site i s in Ningxia Autonomous Region near the town of Shizuishan.