26 May 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Ruins of China’s earliest state academy found in east China

The ruins of ancient China‘s first government-run institution of higher learning, built in 374 BC, have been discovered in the Linzi District of Zibo City in east China’s Shandong Province, said the provincial institute of cultural relics and archaeology.

Founded by the State of Qi during the Warring States Period (475-221 BC), the Jixia Academy was a state institution of higher learning with multiple roles such as research institute, university and think tank, and had existed for more than 150 years.

The building complex was unearthed following a five-year excavation drive, and historical records confirmed it to be the Jixia Academy.

Source: Xinhua 

Four rows of building foundations have been found at the site, measuring about 210 meters from east to west at its widest and 190 meters long from north to south, with a total area of nearly 40,000 sq meters. The site is connected to the ancient capital city of Qi, and it appears as a right-angled trapezoid from above, according to archaeologists.

“Establishing the Jixia Academy was one of the major reforms of the state of Qi, which set the stage for a new social trend of great cultural and intellectual expansion at that time. The new discovery is of great significance for conducting further studies on Qi’s culture,” said Zheng Tongxiu, with the provincial archaeological society who is also the curator of the provincial museum.

Source: Xinhua 

Cover Photo: Photo provided by Shandong Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology on Feb. 21, 2022, shows a drainage pipe unearthed in a building complex site in east China’s Shandong Province. (Shandong Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology/Handout via Xinhua)

Related Articles

4,400-Year-Old Jade Cylinder Seal Found in Western Türkiye

6 December 2024

6 December 2024

A cylindrical seal made of jade stone dating back to 4,400 years ago was found in Kütahya Seyitömer Höyük (Seyitömer...

A 1,000-year-old burial chariot dating back to the Liao Dynasty, founded by the nomadic Khitan discovered in Inner Mongolia

8 August 2024

8 August 2024

Archaeologists from the Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region have discovered a hearse from...

Middle Ages living space uncovered at an altitude of 1,800 meters in eastern Turkey

20 December 2021

20 December 2021

A living space carved into a bedrock considered to belong to the Middle Ages was found at a point overlooking...

7,000-Year-Old Canoes Reveal Early Development of Nautical Technology in Mediterranean

21 March 2024

21 March 2024

The discovery of five “technologically sophisticated” canoes in Italy has revealed that  Neolithic people were navigating the Mediterranean more than...

Unveiling the Secrets of the “Air-Dried Chaplain”: A Unique Mummification Method Discovered in Austria

4 May 2025

4 May 2025

Researchers investigating a remarkably well-preserved mummy discovered in the church crypt of St. Thomas am Blasenstein, a small village in...

The impressive Statue of young Hercules unearthed in Philippi, Northern Greece

24 September 2022

24 September 2022

A larger-than-life youthful Hercules statue dating to the 2nd century A.D. have been found in the ancient city of Philippi...

An exciting discovery in Hattusa, the capital of the Hittites

11 September 2022

11 September 2022

It is aimed to reach new information about the traditions of the Hittite civilization with 249 new hieroglyphs discovered in...

Unlocking the Secrets of Jersey’s Le Câtillon II: A Celtic Settlement Discovered Near the Enigmatic Hoard

12 March 2025

12 March 2025

Recent archaeological investigations near Jersey, an island in the English Channel situated just off the coast of France, have unveiled...

Folded Gold Diadem discovered in Ancient Burial Urn in Southern India

12 August 2022

12 August 2022

A gold diadem, bronze, iron objects, and pottery were reportedly found in a burial urn at the archaeological site of...

3500-year-old Ritual Table with All Its Ceramic Dishware Found in Azerbaijan

12 July 2024

12 July 2024

A joint team of Italian and Azerbaijani archaeologists has discovered a 3500-year-old ritual table with the ceramic tableware still in...

Archaeologists uncover ancient mosaic of the living room of brutal Publius Vedius Pollio

13 December 2022

13 December 2022

In the Pausilypon Archaeological Park, archaeologists from the University of Naples’ “L’Orientale” uncovered an ancient mosaic. The park is located...

Archaeologists find Viking Age shipyard in Swedish island

15 June 2022

15 June 2022

Archaeologists from Stockholm University have discovered a Viking Age shipyard at Birka on the island of Björkö in Lake Mälaren,...

Four-face ivory dice found at Keezhadi excavation site in India

18 February 2022

18 February 2022

The Tamil Nadu Archaeological department along with the Archaeological Survey of India has unearthed rectangular ivory dice,  in the excavation...

Hundreds of skeletons found on Welsh beach

4 July 2021

4 July 2021

Archaeologists found the burial site of women and children just below the surface of the sand dunes on Whitesands Bay...

Extremely well-preserved 2000-year-old child’s leather Shoe Discovered During Archaeological Mine Excavations

1 September 2023

1 September 2023

An “extremely well-preserved” Iron Age child’s shoe was discovered in Austria during excavations at Dürrnberg, near the historic town of...