Recent excavations in Shandong Province, eastern China, have revealed that some of the oldest sections of the Great Wall were built 300 years earlier than previously believed by scholars.
Archaeologists conducting digs in the Changqing area found that the Great Wall was not a single construction project but rather a series of fortifications built during the reign of several dynasties.
This legendary architectural marvel was constructed to protect the northern borders of ancient China from nomadic invaders from the Eurasian steppes. Historical records indicate that the construction of this UNESCO World Heritage site spanned several centuries. However, the surviving documentation lacks the details needed to fully uncover the wall’s origins.
For a long time, scientists believed that most of the ancient parts of the wall were built around the 7th century BC, with these sections being unified during the Qin Dynasty around the 3rd century BC.
However, during last year’s excavations, which covered over 1,000 square meters, archaeologists discovered wall sections dating back to the late Western Zhou Dynasty, which ruled from 1046 to 771 BC, and the early Spring and Autumn period, from 770 to 476 BC. The excavation results shed light on advanced engineering developments that allowed the Qi state to expand the wall by approximately 30 meters at the height of its power.
Some ancient texts indicate that the wall sections underwent numerous phases of construction, use, occasional collapse and neglect, as well as attempts at restoration.
To date the discovered section of the Great Wall, researchers analyzed artifacts found at the site, as well as samples of ancient plants and animal bones, according to the Independent.
Zhang Su, the project leader from the Shandong Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, reported that in addition to the wall sections, archaeologists unearthed fragments of roads, foundations, and walls of houses, trenches, and ash pits.
One of the best-preserved sections of the legendary wall was built using more advanced technologies during a later period, specifically between 475 and 221 BC, as noted by Liu Zheng, an expert from the Chinese Society of Cultural Relics.
Recent studies also revealed the geographical proximity of the oldest section of the wall to the city of Pingyin, mentioned in historical chronicles. This suggests that the Great Wall likely served not only to protect the state from invaders but also played a significant role in the transportation of goods and trade.