China Finds Vast New Stretches of Great Wall

Chinese scientists have discovered huge sections of the Great Wall of China that have been concealed by sandstorms over time, reports the BBC. A high-tech study using infrared and GPS technology found that the barrier built to protect against northern invaders is up to 1000 miles longer than experts previously believed.

The newly discovered sections of the wall were built during the Ming Dynasty and stretch through largely inaccessible desert and mountain territory. Scientists—who warn that some crumbling parts of the barrier may disappear entirely within 20 years as sandstorms become more intense—believe the wall could be longer still and are working to map older sections.
(More archaeology stories.)