14 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

New evidence pushes the origins of the Great Wall back by 300 years

Recently discovered evidence from the Changqing district of Jinan, located in East China’s Shandong Province, reveals that the origins of the Great Wall can be traced back 300 years earlier than previously thought.

The excavations in the Changqing district of Jinan, located in East China’s Shandong Province, have uncovered that the earliest known sections of the Great Wall date back to the late Western Zhou Dynasty (1046 BC-771 BC) and the early Spring and Autumn Period (770 BC-476 BC). This discovery pushes the timeline for the construction of the Great Wall back by approximately 300 years, as reported by Jinan Daily.

The excavation, conducted from May to December 2024, spanned an area of 1,100 square meters in Guangli village. This marks the first proactive excavation of the Great Wall of Qi State, following earlier surveys and investigations.

Archaeologists utilized a multidisciplinary approach, collecting not only traditional artifacts but also specimens such as plant silica and animal bones. They gathered samples for optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and carbon-14 dating, resulting in a wealth of archaeological findings.

The Great Wall of Qi is a significant component of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Great Wall. As the earliest and longest of China’s Great Walls, it extends a total of 641 kilometers.



📣 Our WhatsApp channel is now LIVE! Stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates, just click here to follow us on WhatsApp and never miss a thing!!



Zhang Su, the project leader from the Shandong Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, explained that the excavation revealed substantial evidence of multiple construction phases. The team unearthed large rammed-earth structures, roads, slopes, residential foundations, trenches, ash pits, and walls from various stages of the wall’s development.

Aerial View Photography Of Great Wall Of China. Credit: Tom Fisk, Pexels
Aerial View Photography Of Great Wall Of China. Credit: Tom Fisk, Pexels

According to Zhang, the walls can be categorized into two main phases: early and late. The earlier walls, dating back to the Spring and Autumn Period, are approximately 10 meters wide and may have been constructed as early as the Zhou Dynasty (1046 BC-256 BC). The later sections primarily belong to the Warring States Period (475 BC-221 BC).

The third phase of the walls is the best preserved, showcasing the most advanced construction techniques and measuring over 30 meters in width. This section was likely built during the peak of the Qi State in the Warring States Period.

“This archaeological discovery pushes the construction date of the Great Wall back to the Western Zhou period, establishing it as the earliest known Great Wall in China,” Liu Zheng, a member of the Chinese Society of Cultural Relics, stated to the Global Times on Sunday. “It marks a significant breakthrough in Great Wall archaeology and is a milestone in clarifying the origins and development of research on China’s Great Wall.”

In addition to the walls, two residences from the Zhou Dynasty were discovered beneath the early walls in the northern excavation area. These homes, characterized by square foundations with rounded corners, are typical of the semi-subterranean dwellings of that era. This suggests that prior to the wall’s construction, the area may have been part of a small settlement, potentially linked to river defense, Zhang noted.

The archaeological team, led by Zhang, also uncovered an ancient settlement known as Pingyin City, which is mentioned in historical texts. This site is located about 1.5 kilometers north of the Great Wall.

“The layout, location, and associated infrastructure of the Great Wall of Qi reflect the advanced military planning and strategic responses of the Qi State to external threats. Its close connection to Pingyin indicates that the wall served not only as a defensive structure but also played a strategic role in controlling key transportation routes,” Zhang remarked.

This discovery not only reshapes our understanding of the Great Wall’s history but also highlights the advanced military strategies of the Qi State, emphasizing the wall’s dual role as both a defensive structure and a crucial element in controlling trade and transportation routes in ancient China.

Cover Image Credit: Jinan Daily

Related Articles

The excavations in ancient city of Aizanoi discovered the statue heads of Dionysus and Aphrodite

11 December 2023

11 December 2023

The heads of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, and Dionysus, the god of wine, were found in Aizanoi,...

Palau’s green pyramids: could be a geo-archaeological project

19 February 2022

19 February 2022

Archaeologists from Kiel University’s Institute for Ecosystem Research (CAU) and the German Archaeological Institute (DAI) studied the so-called “Pyramids of...

A Roman tomb where magical nails were used to fend off the ‘restless dead’ has been discovered in Türkiye

15 March 2023

15 March 2023

In the ancient city of Sagalassos in southwestern Türkiye, archaeologists have identified an unusual burial practice from the early Roman...

An ancient structure of unknown purpose discovered in northeastern Italy

25 March 2023

25 March 2023

A mysterious structure of unknown purpose has been unearthed in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region in northeastern Italy. The discovery...

An extraordinary votive treasure was unearthed in the ancient Roman bath sanctuary of San Casciano Dei Bagni in Italy

7 August 2022

7 August 2022

In San Casciano Dei Bagni, a Tuscan hill town famous for its hot springs, 40 miles southeast of Siena, unique...

A new study provides the earliest evidence of rice harvesting, dating to as early as 10,000 years ago

8 December 2022

8 December 2022

A new study of stone tools from southern China reveals the earliest evidence of rice harvesting, dating back 10,000 years....

Mysterious T-Shaped Pillars and 50 Neolithic Structures Found in Sayburç, the Heart of Taş Tepeler

7 September 2025

7 September 2025

Archaeologists working in Şanlıurfa’s Sayburç settlement in southeastern Türkiye have unearthed a remarkable treasure from the deep past: over 50...

Roman Bath and Magnificent Mosaics Used as Stables by the Villagers For Many Years

3 January 2025

3 January 2025

Archaeological excavations in the ancient city of Herakleia in Muğla’s Milas district in western Türkiye unearthed a striking discovery from...

Carvings at Göbeklitepe could be World’s Oldest Calendar

6 August 2024

6 August 2024

Experts suggest that markings on a stone pillar at the 12,000-year-old Göbeklitepe archaeological site in Türkiye probably represent the oldest...

Dartmoor mining discovery rewrites more than 1,000 years of history

18 July 2021

18 July 2021

A new discovery at a Dartmoor mine in England dates human activity there back potentially by more than 1,000 years....

Interesting discovery at Crowland digs, a human poo from the Saxon period or coprolite found

16 August 2021

16 August 2021

Excavations in Abbey Church Field in Crowland, near Peterborough, have also yielded such amazing finds results for archaeologists. The archaeological...

In France, a burial with six ankle bracelets was uncovered

22 December 2022

22 December 2022

An individual bedecked in copper jewelry was discovered during the excavation of a protohistoric necropolis in Aubagne, southeastern France. The...

Only Those on the Righteous Path May Enter Here”: New Mosaics Unearthed in Antalya’s Olympos

19 June 2025

19 June 2025

A newly discovered mosaic inscription at the entrance of a church and elaborately decorated floor mosaics have come to light...

1,400-year-old temple from the time of the East Anglian Kings discovered at Suffolk royal settlement

21 November 2023

21 November 2023

Archaeologists have uncovered a possibly pre-Christian temple from the time of the East Anglian Kings at Rendlesham, near Sutton Hoo...

Southwest Germany’s Oldest Gold Artifact Found

28 May 2021

28 May 2021

Archaeologists discovered the 3,800-year-old burial of a woman who died when she was around 20 years old in what is...