Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
Credit: Institute of Archaeology, CASS
Beneath 4,000-year-old Houchengzui lies a hidden web of escape routes—some burrowed under city walls, surfacing beyond the gates. It’s ancient urban planning with a survivalist twist.
Credit: Institute of Archaeology, CASS
Archaeologists found six crisscrossing tunnels deep below the surface—each large enough to walk through, some lined with arches. Think medieval fortress, but Neolithic.
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Houchengzui’s triple-wall fortress just got smarter. These tunnels weren’t just escape routes—they were a backup nervous system, running silently below the chaos above.
Credit: Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the China Archaeology Network
Engineered during the Longshan period, the underground system hints at a level of strategic foresight rarely seen in cities that old—built to vanish when danger came knocking.
Credit: Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
Some tunnels run straight beneath the city’s defensive barriers, allowing citizens—or soldiers—to bypass sieges or ambush enemies. Warfare, reimagined in stone and soil.
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Before the term “urban warfare” existed, these architects were already building it in. These tunnels weren’t just clever—they were essential, invisible weapons.
Representative pic/World History Encyclopedia
The partial map released shows a maze of intersecting paths. But where do they end? Some exits lie beyond the perimeter. Others? Still unexplored.
Credit: Institute of Archaeology, CASS
This wasn’t just a city—it was a fortress with hidden veins. The Longshan builders weren’t just defending territory—they were preserving futures.
Forget simple huts and basic tools—this discovery places early Chinese engineers in the ranks of tactical masterminds, centuries ahead of their time.
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