Recent archaeological discoveries in the Changqing district of Jinan, located in East China's Shandong Province, indicate that the earliest known sections of the Great Wall of Qi date back to the late Western Zhou Dynasty (1046 BC-771 BC) and to the early Spring and Autumn Period (770 BC-476 BC).

These findings, reported by Jinan Daily, suggest that the construction timeline of the Great Wall has been pushed back by approximately 300 years.

The excavation, conducted from May to December 2024, covered an area of 1,100 square meters in Guangli village.

This marks the first proactive excavation of the Great Wall of Qi State since preliminary surveys and investigations began.

Utilizing a multidisciplinary approach, archaeologists collected traditional artifacts alongside plant silica and animal bone specimens.

They also gathered samples for optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and carbon-14 dating, yielding a comprehensive array of archaeological findings.

As an integral part of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Great Wall, the Great Wall of Qi is recognized as the earliest and longest segment of the Great Wall in China, extending a total of 641 kilometers.

Zhang Su, project leader from the Shandong Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, indicated that the excavation revealed substantial evidence of multiple construction phases.

The archaeological team unearthed large rammed-earth structures, roads, slopes, residential foundations, trenches, and ash pits, alongside walls representing various developmental phases of the wall.

The walls excavated can be categorized into two primary phases: early and late.

The earlier walls, dating back to the Spring and Autumn Period, measure approximately 10 meters in width and may date back to the Zhou Dynasty (1046 BC-256 BC).

The later sections of the wall predominantly belong to the Warring States Period (475 BC-221 BC).

The third phase of the walls is noted for its preservation and advanced construction techniques, with sections exceeding 30 meters in width, likely constructed during the peak of the Qi State in the Warring States Period.

"This archaeological discovery pushes the construction date of the Great Wall back to the Western Zhou period, establishing it as the earliest known Great Wall in China," stated Liu Zheng, a member of the Chinese Society of Cultural Relics, in an interview with the Global Times.

Liu characterized the findings as a significant breakthrough in Great Wall archaeology and essential for clarifying the historical development of China's Great Wall research.

Additionally, two residences from the Zhou Dynasty were discovered beneath the early wall sections in the northern excavation area.

These dwellings feature square foundations with rounded corners, typical of semi-subterranean homes from that time, indicating that the area may have been part of a small settlement prior to the construction of the wall.

The archaeological team also uncovered an ancient settlement known as Pingyin City, which is documented in historical texts and is located approximately 1.5 kilometers north of the Great Wall.

Zhang further noted that "the layout, location, and associated infrastructure of the Great Wall of Qi reflect the Qi State's advanced military planning and strategic response to external threats.

Its close connection to Pingyin indicates that the wall served not only as a defensive mechanism but also played a strategic role in controlling vital transportation routes."