By Tao Zihui

Beijing has long been hailed as one of the oldest cities in the world—up to 3，000 years old. Controversies have lingered regarding the origins of this capital city. However， once people see the archaeological evidence in Liulihe with their own eyes， they will never have another doubt about this long history.

More than three decades ago， a batch of bronze ware bearing invaluable inscriptions from the Western Zhou Dynasty （1046-771 B.C.） was unearthed at Liulihe in Fangshan District， some 43 km southwest of downtown Beijing. The archaeological discovery proved Beijing had been the capital of the ancient Yan State 3，000 years ago.

Archaeological research also identified Liulihe as the earliest traceable source of urban civilization in Beijing， and the site has since been hailed as the origin of Beijing.

New findings

“People are curious about what the capital looked like and how its ancient residents lived. There are still a lot of mysteries to be solved，” Wang Jing， a researcher with the Beijing Archaeological Research Institute， told Xinhua News Agency.

Key archaeological findings were recently made at the nearly 3，000-year-old city ruins. In the northwest of the Liulihe site， an ongoing excavation unveiled a complex of architectural remains with a clear layout， according to Wang， a leading archaeologist working on the site.

The constructions had been made using rammed earth. Each layer of earth was 8 to 12 cm in height. This is the first time this type of discovery has been made at Liulihe. The revealed part is 28 meters from east to west， and 26 meters from north to south. Its foundations are 1.62 meters deep， and the wall is 40 cm thick.

“The rammed earth constructions are of good quality and high-level architecture， showing its status as the capital city of a vassal state，” Wang said.

As historical documents showed， Beijing was where the capital of the Yan State was located during the Western Zhou Dynasty. The state later rose as a power during the Warring States Period （475-221 B.C.） before it was finally conquered by Qinshihuang， the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty （221– 206 B.C.） and the creator of the first unified Chinese territory， to serve as the northern frontier of his empire.

Wang said at least four separate strata of cultural relics demonstrating human activities were discovered on top of the newly found ruins.