Archaeologists working in China have made an unexpected discovery - they have discovered an ancient defensive wall built about 2,800 years ago on one of the mountain passes.
This unique structure was built even before the reign of the first emperor of China. It runs through a narrow mountain pass in the east of Shandong province.
The width of the wall that scientists found was initially about 10 meters, but during the Warring States period (475-221 BC), it was significantly strengthened and, after its completion, its width reached 30 meters. In addition to the wall fragments, the researchers found the remains of houses, roads and ditches, as well as animal bones and plant remains. These findings made it possible to determine the age of the defensive structure.
Some media outlets are considering this discovery as evidence that the construction of the Great Wall of China began 300 years earlier than previously thought. However, experts strongly disagree with this opinion. According to Gideon Shelah-Lavi, professor of Asian studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the discovered fortifications are not part of the Great Wall of China, but a separate object. It was built at a time when the territory of China was divided into many independent states: these states were constantly at war with each other.
One of such defensive structures is the Great Wall of Qi (or Long Wall). It stretches from west to east through Shandong province, from Pinyin County to the shores of the Pacific Ocean. The length of this object is more than 322 kilometers. However, the new fortification is not part of the Great Wall of Qi, because it was built much earlier, in 800 BC, while the Great Wall of Qi was built in 441 BC.
Professor Yuri Pines of the Hebrew University called the new discovery of scientists “very important” and noted that it is located on a strategically important mountain pass used to invade the Qi state. It is possible that there was a permanent garrison of soldiers there, who built this wall to protect the pass. According to researchers, these defensive structures were not part of the Long Wall, but served as a local defense line, bordered by a narrow pass.
The history of the Great Wall of China is rich and colorful. The wall, which began under the reign of China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang (221-210 BC), incorporated parts of earlier walls built by individual states, including the Qi Wall. Later, during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the structure was significantly modernized and strengthened.
The new archaeological discovery once again confirms that a complex system of defensive structures was built in China long before the country was unified into a single empire. There is no doubt that building strong walls was a traditional method of protection against enemies in ancient China.
Photo: Jinan Daily
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