Undated file photo provided by Linhai Cai of the Archaeological Institute of Qinghai Province shows skeletons at a prehistoric settlement site called Lajia in northwest China's Qinghai Province, where three bone samples for radiocarbon dating were collected. Scientists have found what could be geological evidence of a legendary flood tied to the establishment of the first dynasty in China, Xia, and even the beginning of Chinese civilization, a study published in the U.S. journal Science said Thursday. In the new study, Qinglong Wu of Nanjing Normal University and colleagues reported geological evidence for a catastrophic flood on the Yellow River about 4,000 years ago, including remains of a landslide dam and dammed lake sediments. (Xinhua) |