China News Service, Beijing, November 11 (Reporter Ying Ni) The reporter learned from the Institute of Archaeology of the Palace Museum on the 11th that archaeologists found the largest known brick pier in China under the ruins of the Palace Museum. The foundation of the pillars), or will be able to restore the layout of a magnificent Ming Dynasty hall.

　　The relics of the Forbidden City Building Office are located in the southeast of the Ci Ning Palace on the West Road of the Forbidden City and the area to the north of the Internal Affairs Office. It is now the office area of ​​the Forbidden City Repair and Crafts Department.

In October 2020, as the Forbidden City launched the environmental improvement project of the old site of the construction office, the survey and archaeological work of the relevant site was immediately put on the agenda.

　　Archaeologists from the Forbidden City found traces from the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties within an area of ​​more than 2,300 square meters, including relics such as house sites, wall foundations, drainage ditches, earthen stoves, etc., have been excavated and cleared out of the Qing Dynasty Manufacturing Office. Remains of the building base site and the foundation of large-scale buildings in the early Ming Dynasty.

Brick paving from the Ming Dynasty was also found on the scene.

"At that time, the date can be accurately dated because a drainage ditch built in the same age as the ground was discovered, and the words'Jiajing Fifteen Years' were carved on individual bricks." said Xu Haifeng, director of the Institute of Archaeology of the Palace Museum.

　　It is worth mentioning that the largest known brick pier in the country has been excavated during archaeology. It belongs to the remains of the early Ming Dynasty building. It was paved with gray bricks of uniform specifications in the shape of "Hui". It is about 4.45 meters long and wide. It is about 4.4 meters and 1.6 meters high.

Xu Haifeng speculates that this is the remains of a building from the construction of the Forbidden City during the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty.

At present, the north and west edges of the palace have been basically determined.

"Historical records show that after Emperor Yongle moved the capital, he built a group of large palace buildings in this area, such as Renzhi Hall, Dashan Hall, and Renshou Palace. As the records are unknown, the identity of this remains needs further verification."

　　Xu Haifeng said that the archaeological project of the construction office has set the four "most" since the establishment of the Archaeological Department of the Palace Museum, that is, the largest area of ​​archaeological excavation in the museum, the most complete chronological sequence of the discovered remains, the richest types of relics, and the most valuable academic value. important.

Next year, archaeological excavations will continue to advance to the west, and research on the unearthed Yuan dynasty building components will also start.

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