Remnants of the Five-In-A-Row board game, pots and grains among other living facilities were unearthed during recent excavations in the Beijing section of the Great Wall, shedding light on the daily lives of ancient Chinese soldiers, according to the state broadcaster CCTV.
During the archaeological excavation in the west of the Badaling section of the Great Wall, archaeologists at the 64th watchtower, a defensive tower on the Great Wall, discovered remnants of living facilities in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) at the top, including hearths and kitchen sites. Utensils unearthed included pots, pans, bowls, scissors and shovels, uncovering traces of daily life centuries ago.
"The discovery of these hearths indicates that this area was extremely cold during the Ming Dynasty. The presence of stationed troops during winters suggests significant defense pressures, necessitating night duty," says Yu Haikuan, deputy director of the Cultural Heritage Institute of Yanqing district.
Yu believed that these findings were crucial for understanding the lives of ancient soldiers.
In 2022, researchers uncovered carbonized grains, including millet, rice and peppercorns in the Dazhuangke area of the wall in Yanqing. Shang Yan, a deputy researcher at the Beijing Archaeological Research Institute, said, "Although these crops have turned to charcoal, they authentically reconstruct the dietary habits of the Great Wall guards."
Additionally, archaeologists unearthed leisure items like a Five-In-A-Row board game, suggesting that soldiers stationed along the frontier also engaged in recreational activities during their downtime. "This down-to-earth content is basically not documented in traditional historical records. Archaeology [of the Great Wall] provides vivid materials that enrich the narrative of the Great Wall culture," said Chen Mingjie, director of the Beijing Municipal Cultural Heritage Bureau.
Two pilot projects, the Dazhuangke Great Wall in Yanqing and the Jiankou Great Wall in Huairou district, have entered the restoration phase. Beijing cultural heritage authorities adhere to the principle of "repairing as it originally was," utilizing old-style bricks and traditional methods to preserve the Great Wall's historical authenticity.
Since 2021, Beijing has taken a pioneering step in enhancing the protection of the Great Wall by introducing archaeological excavations alongside restoration efforts, adopting a "repair while researching" approach.
According to Shang, without the intervention of archaeological work, it is akin to observing Great Wall ruins from the surface, which is inherently partial, and researchers are unable to comprehend the root causes of the Great Wall's structural problems or understand its architectural forms and craftsmanship.
The archaeological work has provided a comprehensive perspective for planners, offering insights into the roots of structural problems and architectural practices, he added.
A recent survey of the Great Wall in Beijing has utilized a multidisciplinary approach, integrating archaeology, history, geography and digitization. Carbon-14 dating technology was also employed for the first time to determine the construction period of the Great Wall, according to the report.
Carbon-14 dating, a method widely employed in archaeological work nowadays, relies on measuring the extent of carbon-14 decay to estimate the approximate age of samples. In this investigation, the application of Carbon-14 dating determined the age of the Mapaoquan section of the Great Wall in Changping district was constructed between 536 and 646.
By combining these data with other historical records and relevant evidence, researchers conclusively established that the Maqiaoquan section of the Great Wall belongs to the Northern Qi Dynasty (550-577), according to CCTV.
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