Beijing uncovers 3,000-year-old rammed earth construction base

(Photo/Beijing Youth Daily)

BEIJING, April 4 -- Chinese archaeologists have uncovered a rammed earth construction base with a clear structure and layers at a relic site in southwest Beijing, according to the city's cultural heritage administration.

The uncovered area in the township of Liulihe in Fangshan District is about 700 square meters, said Wang Jing, an official with the Beijing Municipal Administration of Cultural Heritage.

(Photo/Beijing Youth Daily)

The thickest part of the rammed earth construction is 1.62 meters, and more than four layers of the construction hold traces of human activities of repairs, according to Wang.

The excavation is of great value for the study of early architecture, building structures and the history in the area, Wang said.

The Liulihe relic site was believed to be the capital of the Yan kingdom during the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046-771 BC). The site contains the rammed earth city walls, remains and burial areas. A history of more than 3,000 years makes the site the earliest traceable source of urban civilization in Beijing.

(Photo/Beijing Youth Daily)

The investigation and exploration of the core area and burial areas of the Liulihe relic site began 2019. Hundreds of relics have since been excavated.