An ancient wall even older than the Great Wall of China has been found in China

Archaeologists working in China have come across an unexpected discovery — they have identified an ancient defensive wall built approximately 2800 years ago in a mountain pass.

This unique structure was constructed even before the reign of China's first emperor. It runs through a narrow mountain path in eastern Shandong province.

The width of the wall discovered by the scientists was initially about 10 meters, but during the period of the Warring States (475-221 BC), it was significantly reinforced, and after its completion, its width reached 30 meters. In addition to the wall fragments, researchers found remnants of housing, roads, and ditches, as well as animal bones and plant remains. These findings allowed for the determination of the age of the defensive structure.

Some media outlets are interpreting this discovery as evidence that the Great Wall of China began to be built 300 years earlier than previously thought. However, experts completely disagree with this view. According to Gideon Shelach-Lavi, a professor of Asian studies at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, the fortifications found are not part of the Great Wall of China but rather a separate entity. It was built during a time when the territory of China was divided into many independent states that were constantly waging wars against each other.

One of such defensive structures is the Great Si Wall (or Long Wall). It stretches from west to east through Shandong province, from the Pinin district to the shores of the Pacific Ocean. This object is over 322 kilometers long. However, the new fortification is not part of the Si Wall, as it was built much earlier, in 800 BC, while the Great Si Wall was constructed in 441 BC.

Professor Yuri Payns from the Hebrew University called the scientists' new find "very significant" and emphasized that it is located in a mountain pass of strategic importance used for invading the State of Si. There may have been a permanent military garrison stationed there, which could have built this wall to protect the crossing point. According to researchers, these defensive structures were not part of the Long Wall but served as a local defense line bounded by the narrow path.

The history of the Great Wall of China is rich and diverse. The wall, which began construction during the reign of China's first emperor Qin Shi Huang (221-210 BC), incorporated parts of earlier walls built by separate states, including the Si Wall. Later, during the Ming dynasty (1368−1644), the structure was significantly modernized and fortified.

The new archaeological discovery once again confirms that a complex system of defensive structures was built long before the unification of the country into a single empire. Undoubtedly, constructing strong walls was a traditional method of protection against enemies in ancient China.
Photo: Jinan Daily