Great Wall find unveils old military pastime.docx

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1、GreatWallfindunveilsoldmilitarypastimeByWangSongsongChinaDailyUpdated:2023-12-2622:43AgameboardcarvedonastoneonaGreatWallsectioninBeijing.PhotoprovidedtoChinaDailyGreatWall:MoreexcavationsonthecardsHundredsofyearsago,asthesettingsuncastagoldenglowupontheGreatWall,agroupofsoldiersfoundawelcomediversi

2、onfromthepressuresofmilitarydutyinachess-likeboardgame.Lackingaplayingboard,theycarvedoneonstone.Thesoldiersnavigatedtheboardwiththesameprecisiontheyemployedonthebattlefield,calculatingtheiroptionsandcontemplatingtheconsequencesofeachdecision.Theclangofswordsandthecriesoffallencomradeswerereplacedby

3、thegentleclickofpiecesonthegameboardintheeveninglight.Asthesundippedbelowthehorizon,castinglongshadowsacrossthewallztheyfinishedtheirgameandretreatedtotheirposts,theirmindsstrategicallysharpenedandreadytofacethetrialsthatawaitedthem.AscenelikethismighthaveplayedoutduringtheMingDynasty(1368-1644),asc

4、enturieslater,ChinesearchaeologistshavediscoveredwhatappearstobeasortofchessboardcarvedonablockofstoneintheJiankousectionoftheGreatWallinBeijingsHuairoudistrict.Thefindshedslightonwhatsoldiersmighthavedoneduringtheirleisuretime.Thegameboard,carvedonapavingstoneatwatchtowerNo141,wasdiscoveredlastyear

5、andrecentlymadepublic.Wearenotsurewhichvariantofchessitis.ThereweretwopopularboardgamesintheMingDynasty-GoandChinesechess/*saidShangHeng,associateresearcherattheBeijingArchaeologicalResearchInstitute.Previously,ShanghadfoundanothergameboardatwatchtowerNo145intheJiankousection.Butthatboard,withasquar

6、einthemiddle,isdifferentfromtheonefoundlastyear.TherecentdiscoveryaddsanotherlayertotheculturalsignificanceoftheGreatWall.ItnotonlyenrichestheunderstandingofancientChineseculture,butalsogivestheformidablestructureahumanangle.Historicaldocumentstendtorecordinstitutionalcontent.Thearchaeologicalexcava

7、tionessentiallyservesasasupplementthatfillsinthegapsinourunderstandingoftheGreatWall/Shangsaid.AccordingtoShang,theborderregionwasessentiallyasmall-scalesociety.Apartfrompatrollingandfighting,soldierslivedtheirlivesasordinarypeople.The520-kilometer-longBeijingsectionoftheGreatWallwindsfromeasttowest

8、,spanningPinggu,Miyun,HuairouxYanqingzChangpingandMentougoudistricts.Startingin2021,BeijinghastakentheleadnationwideinincorporatingarchaeologicalexcavationsintotherestorationworkoftheGreatWall,withtheJiankouandDazhuangkesectionsservingaspilotprojects.Thismarksashiftfromgeneralemergencyreinforcementt

9、owardresearch-orientedrestoration,allowinghistoriansandarchaeologiststodelveintothewallsrichhistory.ShangsaidthatsomepartsoftheGreatWallabovegroundareinruins,whilesomeotherpartsareburied.Excavationswillprovideamorecomprehensiveunderstandingofthestructureandhelprestorethewallasclosetoitsoriginalappea

10、ranceaspossible.Moreoverastheundergroundpartsarebroughttolight,unexpecteddiscoveriescanofferglimpsesintothewallsculturaldimensions,hesaid.Nextyear,wewillcarryoutarchaeologicalexcavationsfromwatchtowerNo117towatchtowerNo122.ThatsthehighestpartoftheJiankousection,andvisitorswillbeabletoenjoyapanoramic

11、viewofJiankou,headded.TheGreatWalldiscoveryfollowsanotherfindrelatedtoaboardgamein2013intheUnitedKingdom.A7thcenturyboardgamepiecewasunearthedbyUniversityofReadingarchaeologistsintheremainsofanAnglo-Saxonroyalhallzwhereboardgameswerepopular.Researchersbelievethehollowbonecylindertheyfound,attheLymingediginKent,belongedtoanearlybackgammonordraughtsgameset.DuJuancontributedtothisstory.