Archaeologists find ‘oldest section’ of Great Wall of China | World | News
Archaeologists have discovered the earliest section of the Great Wall of China, dating around 300 years earlier than previously estimated.
The incredible discovery was made in Changqing District, Jinan, Shandong Province.
The section goes back to the late Western Zhou Dynasty (1046 BCE–771 BCE) and the early Spring and Autumn Period (770 BCE–476 BCE).
An excavation was carried out by the Shandong Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology between the months of May and December 2024.
During the process, around 1,100 square metres were excavated in the northern part of Guangli Village. This marks the first proactive excavation of the Qi Great Wall following years of preliminary surveys, reports Archaeology News.
The research team adopted a multidisciplinary approach, incorporating traditional artifact analysis, soil sampling, phytolith studies, and dating methods such as optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and carbon-14 dating.
The Qi Great Wall is one of the oldest known sections of the Great Wall of China, constructed by the State of Qi during the Warring States period (475–221 BCE). It predates the more famous Ming Dynasty Great Wall by over a thousand years.
Primarily in Shandong Province, the UNESCO heritage site stretches over 600 kilometers (370 miles).
It was built as a defensive barrier against invasions from neighboring states, particularly the State of Chu. Made from rammed earth, stone, and other locally available materials, it reflects the advanced military strategy and engineering of the Qi state before China’s unification under the Qin Dynasty.
Zhang Su, project leader of the Shandong Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology believes that the excavations revealed distinct phases of wall construction.
The earliest walls, dating to the Spring and Autumn Period, were approximately 10 meters thick and exhibit signs that their foundation may trace back to the Zhou Dynasty.
Additional findings uncovered remnants of residential structures beneath the early walls in the northern excavation area.
These semi-subterranean dwellings, featuring square foundations with rounded corners, offer a glimpse into small settlement life before the fortifications were built.
This evidence suggests that the walls were not solely for defense but were also intertwined with the daily lives of local inhabitants.
