The Baicaoyuan archaeological site in Shaoxing, East China's Zhejiang Province. Photo: Courtesy of Shaoxing Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology

The remains of a large-scale and well-preserved terraced wood-frame houses of early Warring States period (475BC-221BC) have been discovered in Shaoxing, East China's Zhejiang Province, providing valuable insights into the construction methods, structural layout and living conditions of the ordinary people in the outskirts of the Yue State capital, China News Service reported on Tuesday.

In a preliminary survey conducted from June to July in 2024, archaeologists from the Shaoxing Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology identified ancient river channels, wells and other relics beneath the site.

Wang Renfang, a deputy director of the institute as well as the head of the archaeological team at the Baicaoyuan site, told the Global Times on Wednesday that the site contains two main cultural layers dating back to the early Warring States period and the Six Dynasties period (220-589). Radiocarbon dating confirms the structural remains  to date back to 400 BC and 400 AD respectively, while thatch remnants from the dwellings have been dated to approximately 2,390 years ago.

Archaeologists uncovered two wooden architectural foundations covering approximately 1,300 square meters. One of them features a stilted, terraced wood-frame houses covered by reeds, bamboo and woven strips. The walls, made of interwoven wooden posts and thatch, retain numerous small holes, which archaeologists believe were left by grass ropes used to bind the structure together.

The second foundation consists of wooden piles arranged in 10 parallel rows oriented southwest to northeast. The piles, secured by horizontal beams and layered with bark, suggest another stilted construction. The remaining structure extends 35 meters north to south and 15 meters east to west, but its full extent is yet to be determined.

Artifacts recovered from the site include primitive porcelain cups, red pottery tripods, impressed hard pottery urns, bronze drill bits, and architectural components.

"It is an exceptionally rare archaeological find in the Yue State capital, both in terms of scale and preservation," Wang said, highlighting the significance of the intact thatched roof and bamboo-wood walls. 

"This new excavation provides further critical material evidence for studying Yue architecture," Wang said. "It offers new insights into construction methods, structural layouts, and the way of life in the capital's outskirts."

The excavation also revealed Warring States Period hydraulic facilities which, though yet to be confirmed, shed light on the maritime defense strategies and coastal activities of the Yue people, as they were located just 2 to 3 kilometers away from the estuary.

Beyond the early Warring States remains, archaeologists also identified 38 relics from the Six Dynasties period, along with over 4,000 kilograms of artifacts. Remains of domestic animals, including dogs, pigs and cattle, were uncovered alongside large quantities of marine resources such as shells and fish. Researchers noted that this suggests that the area was once a key departure point for sea voyages and that fishing was an integral part of daily life. Additionally, the site contains a Tang Dynasty (618-907) brick tomb and 19 modern-era pits.

In July 2024, excavations at the Jizhong site in Shaoxing confirmed the existence of large-scale Yue structures within the ancient city, dating back approximately 2,500 years. Meanwhile, the Baicaoyuan site, located 4.47 kilometers north of the Cao'e River, lies on the outskirts of this ancient capital.

Wang noted that the newly discovered terraced house that located on the outskirts is a group of simple thatched cottages, less refined compared with those in the ancient city. However, their beam-frame structures have been remarkably well preserved. The architectural style of these buildings also aligns with the coastal environment, representing a widely adopted construction style in the south. Since the excavation of the dwellings at the site has not yet been fully completed, researchers are working to organize further excavations.