A new excavation has uncovered a 4,200-year-old Longshan culture site, pushing the history of Jinan, capital of Shandong province, back by 1,500 years. This groundbreaking discovery has rewritten history.

The Longshan culture city wall uncovered during the excavation offers a testament to Jinan's further ancient history. [Photo/Dazhong News]

The excavation is a part of the archaeological excavation project at the site in the southwest of Daming Lake in Jinan, since November 2024. Recent archaeological excavations in the city, conducted ahead of the construction of the Metro Line 6 Daming Lake Station, have uncovered cultural relics spanning from the middle and late Dawenkou Culture (4000–2600 BC) to modern times.

The most significant discovery is the Longshan Culture city wall and moat, with carbon-14 dating indicating an age of around 4,200 years. The wall was repaired during the Yueshi Culture and the Warring States Period (475–221 BC), suggesting continuous use up until that time. This finding pushes back Jinan's known urban history by approximately 1,500 years, highlighting its rich cultural heritage and the continuity of Chinese civilization.

Experts note that the Daming Lake Longshan Culture city site is another important discovery in the northern Shandong mountainous area, broadening research on the origins of Shandong and Chinese civilization.

Currently, Jinan plans to protect and display the Longshan culture city wall on-site. The Jinan Archaeological Research Institute and the Rail Transit Group have developed a special cultural relics protection plan to showcase the ancient city wall and archaeological findings to the public.

The site's numerous wells and water channels show ancient people's use of water resources and enrich Jinan's spring culture. [Photo/Dazhong News]