Great Wall of China Excavation Reveals Giant Ming Dynasty Cannon

Jiankou portion of Great Wall, China. Credit: Villa of the Papyri / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

Archaeologists moving astatine the Jiankou conception of the Great Wall adjacent Beijing, China, person uncovered uncommon grounds of subject defence and regular beingness from the Ming Dynasty, including a ample 17th-century cannon, heated ceramic beds, inscribed operation bricks, and nutrient remains.

The discoveries were announced during Beijing’s archaeological probe briefing successful December 2025, pursuing conservation enactment astatine the steep upland conception successful Huairou District. Researchers examined Watchtowers 117, 118, and 119 and recovered much than 300 artifacts linked to weapons, operation methods, and garrison life.

Details of the discovery

The astir important find was a cast-iron cannon dated to 1632, during the last decades of the Ming Dynasty. The limb measures 89.2 centimeters (35 inches) agelong and weighs astir 112 kilograms (247 pounds), making it the largest cannon yet recovered astatine Jiankou.

Beijing Institute of Archaeology researcher Shang Heng described it arsenic the archetypal ample firearm discovered astatine the site. Despite corrosion, inscriptions connected the cannon stay partially readable. Researchers said the markings could assistance explicate Ming-era firearm accumulation and subject proviso systems.

Archaeologists astatine the Jiankou conception of the Great Wall adjacent Beijing person uncovered a monolithic 17th-century Ming Dynasty cannon, heated ceramic beds, inscribed bricks, nutrient remains and traces of soldiers’ regular life. pic.twitter.com/2br1TMw70I

— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) May 19, 2026

The cannon besides appears linked to the Hongyi cannon, a European-style artillery limb introduced into China during the precocious Ming period. Researchers said its plan suggests the Jiankou conception functioned arsenic a heavy equipped frontier defence strategy alternatively than a symbolic barrier.

Evidence of soldiers’ regular lives

The excavation besides revealed however soldiers lived wrong the watchtower network. Researchers uncovered heated ceramic beds, known arsenic kangs, on with a stove utilized for cooking and heating. Watchtower 118 contained the largest kang yet discovered astatine Jiankou, offering grounds of however troops survived the acold upland climate.

Food remains and animal bones were besides recovered from the site. Some bones carried butchery marks, showing that soldiers prepared meals wrong the garrison area. Charred works remains and harvest traces whitethorn assistance researchers reconstruct the soldiers’ fare and the surrounding situation during the Ming period.

Bricks uncover operation history

Several discoveries besides shed airy connected however the Great Wall was built. Researchers recovered bricks stamped with accumulation marks that recorded weights and references to a “north kiln.” Archaeologists said the markings could assistance explicate however gathering materials were organized and transported crossed the rugged terrain.

Another ceramic carried a handwritten connection believed to person been near by a worker. The inscription reportedly reads: “No wine, nary rest; 3 years of hard labour person turned my hairsbreadth white.”

Researchers said the connection offers a uncommon quality glimpse into the hardships faced by laborers who built and maintained the Great Wall.

Scientific investigation besides identified works fibers mixed into lime mortar, apt added to fortify the operation material. Archaeologists said the findings item the engineering cognition utilized successful gathering 1 of China’s astir celebrated frontier defenses.