The Jiankou excavation near Beijing exposed a well‑preserved Ming‑era cannon inscribed "Chongzhen Year 5" (1632), measuring about 35 inches and weighing 247 pounds, whose barrel proportions suggest European influence. Archaeologists opened three watchtowers and connecting walls, uncovering heated beds, stoves, a 1573 construction inscription, bricks with technical and personal inscriptions, and mortar with plant fibers. Botanical remains, animal bones and 28 turquoise artifacts likely sourced from Hubei, Henan and Shaanxi illuminate diet, provisioning and long‑distance trade at this Great Wall garrison.
Jiankou Dig Reveals 1632 Ming Cannon and 28 Turquoise Artifacts—A Window Into Garrison Life
Archaeologists Found Artifacts In the Great WallTwenty47studio - Getty Images
Archaeologists working on a brick-by-brick restoration of the Jiankou section of the Great Wall, in the mountains near Beijing, have uncovered a remarkable assemblage of military and domestic remains. The excavation exposed three watchtowers and the curtain walls between them, revealing weapons, construction evidence and everyday items that illuminate life on this frontier installation.
Standout Find: A Ming‑Era Cannon
The most striking discovery is a well‑preserved iron cannon bearing an inscription reading "Chongzhen Year 5"—the equivalent of 1632 C.E. Measuring roughly 35 inches long and weighing about 247 pounds, its barrel proportions resemble European red‑coat style cannons. The piece sits within existing battery platforms on the wall, suggesting that guns of this size were standard equipment for watchtowers and that Jiankou served an artillery as well as defensive role.
"This provides crucial physical proof of Chinese–Western military technology exchange," said Shang Heng, an associate research fellow at the Beijing Institute of Archaeology.
Daily Life and Construction Details
Excavators documented domestic features including a heated brick bed and a stove in Watchtower 118, showing how troops kept warm and slept. Watchtower 117 yielded an inscription dated to 1573 C.E., which gives a firm construction benchmark for that segment of the wall.
Three individual bricks provided further technical and human detail. Two bricks bear weight‑related inscriptions that challenge prior assumptions about Ming‑period kiln practices and material standardization. A third brick contains a personal lament—translated as, "nothing but alcohol or worry; three years of toil turned my hair white"—offering a human voice from the laborers who built the wall.
Laboratory analysis of lime mortar from the site showed a high‑magnesium lime mixture with plant fibers added to improve adhesion, refining our understanding of Ming construction techniques.
Environment, Diet and Trade
Botanical remains and medicinal plants recovered at the site shed light on diet, preservation and health practices. Animal bones—including both domesticated species and wild game with butchery marks—document provisioning and food preparation on site.
Archaeologists also recovered 28 turquoise artifacts. Early sourcing points toward mines in Hubei, Henan and Shaanxi provinces, indicating long‑distance exchange networks that reached the Great Wall garrisons.
Why This Matters
Together, these finds transform the image of the Great Wall from a purely military fortification into a living historical landscape where defense, daily life and intercultural exchange intersect. The preserved geography of Jiankou makes it an excellent location for studying continuity in technology, construction and garrison life over centuries.
Next steps: Specialists will continue material analyses—particularly of the cannon inscription and metallurgical composition—to better understand Ming‑era foundry methods and the pathways of technological exchange between China and Europe.
