Ancient Chinese shells with eerie warning messages were unearthed at the Great Wall of China
Dozens of ancient stone grenades were unearthed at the Great Wall of China.
The weapons are a particularly great find because they are marked with an eerie warning message from 400 years ago.
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According to Chinese news agency XinhuaArchaeologists unearthed 59 stone grenades.
They were found in the remains of a warehouse next to the most visited section of the Great Wall of China.
The area is known as the Badaling Great Wall.
It was built in the Ming Dynasty, which lasted from around 1368 to 1644.
The discovery of the grenades showed experts that early gunpowder weapons were used during this period.
Expert Tonio Andrade, who wrote The Gunpowder Age: China, Military Innovation, and the Rise of the West in World History spoke to Live Science about the discovery of gunpowder.
He said the drain: “I have argued that the Ming Dynasty was the world’s first ‘Gunpowder Empire’.”
Adding: “The shells recently discovered on the Great Wall of China are very consistent with its history.”
No photos of the stone grenades have been released yet.
They are said to have an inscription on them asking the guards to be on the lookout for enemies.
It is believed that the weapons were capable of setting things on fire.
Although primitive compared to today’s grenades, it is likely that they would have exploded with great force due to the gunpowder.
Archaeologists also claim to have found a new stone fortress during the excavation.
The remains were found alongside artifacts such as shovels and ovens.
