The latest archeological excavations in this capital of south China's Guangdong province have dated one of the city's major boulevards back more than 2,200 years.

A facelift project on Beijing Avenue, believed to have been the central road of the provincial capital for about 1,000 years, began in the June-July period this year and has resulted in the unearthing of numerous bricks from ancient city walls.

On Thursday, in the mud below the road's surface, archaeologists excavated a large number of pottery pieces belonging to different dynasties, some of which date back to the Southern Yue Kingdom in the Western Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-24 A.D.), according to local culture officials.

Earlier excavation on the road unveiled a total of 11 historic road layers below the surface, with the oldest dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

Mai Yinghao, a well-known Chinese archaeologist, says the discovery of the Southern Yue Kingdom relics is of great significance for understanding Guangzhou's historic sites and cultural heritage and for evaluating the historic status of its Beijing Avenue.

According to the officials, measures have been put in to place to better preserve historic relics on the road, including covering the sites with reinforced glass boards and demarcating special protection areas.

( People's Daily Septembe 16, 2002)