Great Wall find unveils old military pastime.docx

GreatWallfindunveilsoldmilitarypastimeByWangSongsongChinaDailyUpdated:2023-12-2622:43AgameboardcarvedonastoneonaGreatWallsectioninBeijing.PhotoprovidedtoChinaDailyGreatWall:MoreexcavationsonthecardsHundredsofyearsago,asthesettingsuncastagoldenglowupontheGreatWall,agroupofsoldiersfoundawelcomediversionfromthepressuresofmilitarydutyinachess-likeboardgame.Lackingaplayingboard,theycarvedoneonstone.Thesoldiersnavigatedtheboardwiththesameprecisiontheyemployedonthebattlefield,calculatingtheiroptionsandcontemplatingtheconsequencesofeachdecision.Theclangofswordsandthecriesoffallencomradeswerereplacedbythegentleclickofpiecesonthegameboardintheeveninglight.Asthesundippedbelowthehorizon,castinglongshadowsacrossthewallztheyfinishedtheirgameandretreatedtotheirposts,theirmindsstrategicallysharpenedandreadytofacethetrialsthatawaitedthem.AscenelikethismighthaveplayedoutduringtheMingDynasty(1368-1644),ascenturieslater,ChinesearchaeologistshavediscoveredwhatappearstobeasortofchessboardcarvedonablockofstoneintheJiankousectionoftheGreatWallinBeijing'sHuairoudistrict.Thefindshedslightonwhatsoldiersmighthavedoneduringtheirleisuretime.Thegameboard,carvedonapavingstoneatwatchtowerNo141,wasdiscoveredlastyearandrecentlymadepublic."Wearenotsurewhichvariantofchessitis.ThereweretwopopularboardgamesintheMingDynasty-GoandChinesechess/*saidShangHeng,associateresearcherattheBeijingArchaeologicalResearchInstitute.Previously,ShanghadfoundanothergameboardatwatchtowerNo145intheJiankousection.Butthatboard,withasquareinthemiddle,isdifferentfromtheonefoundlastyear.TherecentdiscoveryaddsanotherlayertotheculturalsignificanceoftheGreatWall.ItnotonlyenrichestheunderstandingofancientChineseculture,butalsogivestheformidablestructureahumanangle."Historicaldocumentstendtorecordinstitutionalcontent.ThearchaeologicalexcavationessentiallyservesasasupplementthatfillsinthegapsinourunderstandingoftheGreatWall/'Shangsaid.AccordingtoShang,theborderregionwasessentiallyasmall-scalesociety.Apartfrompatrollingandfighting,soldierslivedtheirlivesasordinarypeople.The520-kilometer-longBeijingsectionoftheGreatWallwindsfromeasttowest,spanningPinggu,Miyun,HuairouxYanqingzChangpingandMentougoudistricts.Startingin2021,BeijinghastakentheleadnationwideinincorporatingarchaeologicalexcavationsintotherestorationworkoftheGreatWall,withtheJiankouandDazhuangkesectionsservingaspilotprojects.Thismarksashiftfromgeneralemergencyreinforcementtowardresearch-orientedrestoration,allowinghistoriansandarchaeologiststodelveintothewall'srichhistory.ShangsaidthatsomepartsoftheGreatWallabovegroundareinruins,whilesomeotherpartsareburied.Excavationswillprovideamorecomprehensiveunderstandingofthestructureandhelprestorethewallasclosetoitsoriginalappearanceaspossible.Moreoverastheundergroundpartsarebroughttolight,unexpecteddiscoveriescanofferglimpsesintothewall'sculturaldimensions,hesaid."Nextyear,wewillcarryoutarchaeologicalexcavationsfromwatchtowerNo117towatchtowerNo122.That'sthehighestpartoftheJiankousection,andvisitorswillbeabletoenjoyapanoramicviewofJiankou,"headded.TheGreatWalldiscoveryfollowsanotherfindrelatedtoaboardgamein2013intheUnitedKingdom.A7thcenturyboardgamepiecewasunearthedbyUniversityofReadingarchaeologistsintheremainsofanAnglo-Saxonroyalhallzwhereboardgameswerepopular.Researchersbelievethehollowbonecylindertheyfound,attheLymingediginKent,belongedtoanearlybackgammonordraughtsgameset.DuJuancontributedtothisstory.