Old stone tablet discovered earthquake records in N China

SHIJIAZHUANG -- A stone tablet recording an earthquake during Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) has been found in north China's Hebei Province, local authorities said Wednesday.

The tablet was discovered in Cixian county. The block of stone is 135 cm by 60 cm, and 15 cm thick

An inscription on the tablet contains 409 characters, and records a devastating earthquake that struck the county around 1830. The tablet was set up in 1865.

The tablet could provided material for research in the seismic history of the Taihang Mountains.