Archaeologists uncover 3.7 litres of well-preserved liquid in a Qin cemetery, confirming the use of millet-based brewing near the frontier
3-MIN READ3-MIN ListenShi HuangPublished: 8:00am, 11 Aug 2026“He who has never been to the Great Wall is not a true man,” former Chinese leader Mao Zedong wrote in a poem while passing through the Liupan Mountains in Guyuan, Gansu, during the Long March of the Red Army in October, 1935.
Recently, a well-preserved bronze wine vessel was discovered at the Shanjiabao cemetery, located 2km (1.2 miles) from the Warring States Qin Great Wall. The ancient Warring States-era jar remained perfectly sealed and still glistened, according to a study published in the June issue of the Journal of Archaeological Science.
Along the 170km stretch of the Qin Great Wall, there are numerous forts, castles and barrier outposts of various sizes. At the time of the Warring States period, border soldiers and their families lived within fortified passes, castles and defensive outposts.
