Head Hunters

The Great Wall has just grown by 300 miles.  Archaeologists working in the remote Lop Nur desert of China have discovered a wall stretching from the Yumen Pass to the northern edge of Lop Nur.  The wall is identical to other sections of the Great Wall at Jiayu Pass, but is constructed with yellow sandy stone and jarrah branches. Beacon towers extend as far as Kashgar suggesting that the wall originally extended even farther. This section of the Great Wall was built to protect merchants traveling the ancient Silk Road, the major trade route between china and the West.

• Great Wall Longer Than Thought New York Times
• Great Wall Extends to Xinjiang, 500 km Longer: Archeologists China Daily
• Great Wall Longer Than Thought Discovery