During conservation work at the Jiankou site of China’s Great Wall, archaeologists uncovered a rare collection of military and household items from the Ming Dynasty. The discoveries were made while preserving steep and inaccessible watchtowers numbered 117, 118, and 119 in the Huairou region.
Among these artifacts was a cast-iron artillery piece dated to 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 found at the Jiankou site.
Shang Heng, a researcher at the Beijing Institute of Archaeology, noted that despite corrosion partially damaging the inscriptions, they 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. Experts identified the cannon as a type known as a “Hongyi cannon” (cannons of the red barbarians), which were European artillery adapted in China toward the end of the Ming era. The narrow muzzle and massive body indicate that Jiankou was not merely a symbolic defensive line but a fortified frontier equipped with heavy weaponry.
In addition to weapons, the watchtowers yielded traces of daily life for garrison soldiers. Tower No. 118 contained the largest heated bed and stove discovered at the site, suggesting soldiers endured harsh conditions in highland regions. Beneath bricks in this tower were found food remains, bones of domestic and wild animals with butchering marks, and plant fibers used to strengthen masonry.
Archaeologists also noted inscriptions on building bricks, including one that reads: “No wine, no rest; three years of hard labor have turned my hair gray.” This inscription provides rare insight into the lives of workers and confirms that even ordinary craftsmen possessed a certain level of literacy.
A blue stone stele found in tower No. 117 dates the construction of this section to 1573. Scientists emphasized that current excavations are part of a research project dedicated to protecting the monument while combining archaeological studies with conservation efforts for the fragile mountain landscape.
