The fifth phase of the Jiankou Great Wall Repair Project is undergoing preliminary archaeological excavations. Among them, the excavation of the second enemy platform, No. 120 enemy platform of the Huairou Great Wall, has just begun, and there are many surprises!
On the day of the launch on May 9, stone mines and projectiles were found; On May 12, the building components were found again......
Photo by Feng Weiyi
Enemy platform No. 120 is a hollow enemy platform, which is structurally divided into three parts: the base is covered with stone, the first floor is a hollow cloister structure made of bricks, and the second floor has a shop. Before the excavation, the enemy platform had collapsed badly. The second-story shop has collapsed, and the first floor has collapsed completely except for the northeast corner, the west and south sides have all collapsed, and some brick walls can be seen on the south side completely collapsed......
On the south side of the enemy platform, it can be seen that the brick wall has collapsed on the whole side. Photo by Yu Lishuang
If you stand in the middle of the enemy platform and look to the north side, you can see the windows of the arch structure.
Photo by Yu Lishuang
In the northeast corner of the enemy platform, there are still corridors, but they are crumbling in many places.
Photo by Yu Lishuang
In the northwest corner of the enemy platform, the base is relatively well preserved, and it is covered with blue and white striped stones.
On the afternoon of May 9, the excavation work began, and the workers began to clean up the pile of broken bricks and remnants accumulated after the collapse on the south side of the enemy platform, which was four or five meters thick. Not long after the cleanup, stone mines and projectiles were found, and there were more than 20 stone mines as they were dug out, and two large and one small stone projectiles were also found. As a military defense system, the function of the Great Wall to store weapons has once again been confirmed!
Stone mines. Photo by Yu Shuya
On May 12, workers cleared out some building components on the south side, including spine beasts and some tiles. Among them, the spine beast is small and exquisite, with a nose and mouth similar to that of a human, and the upper and lower bodies of a small snake are carved on both sides of the cheeks, like two fluttering whiskers. Among the excavated tile elements, flower patterns are also carved on the hook heads.
Photo by Feng Weiyi
"This enemy platform collapsed relatively early, and there was less man-made damage and interference, so these cultural relics can be preserved." Shang Heng, the person in charge of the archaeological project and the Beijing Institute of Archaeology, introduced. The No. 120 enemy platform is located in a low terrain, and the transportation of materials is relatively convenient, so the scale of the enemy platform building is relatively large, and the craftsmanship is also more exquisite. It is predicted that the excavation of Enemy Platform 120 will take at least another month.
The scope of the fifth phase of the Jiankou Great Wall repair project is from west to east, from No. 122 enemy platform (due north building) to No. 117 enemy platform of Huairou Great Wall, a total of 6 enemy platforms and 5 sections of 915-meter walls between enemy platforms. It started in mid-April this year and has a construction period of three years. Unlike previous archaeological projects on the Great Wall, this time, it will be renovated after the entire archaeological section is completed.
Looking forward to more surprises in this renovation project!
Source: Beijing Daily Yu Lishuang
Graphic editor: Little Lamb