SHENYANG - Archaeologists have identified the dilapidated walls in Northeast China to be the remains of the "Wooden" Great Wall, breaking the stereotype that the landmark wall of China was only made of stone and earthen bricks.

Some willow fences, found in the mountainous areas of Dandong City, Liaoning Province, helped corroborate the existence of the "Wooden Great Wall", which is mentioned in ancient history books, according to a report jointly released by Liaoning Culture Relics Bureau and Liaoning Bureau of Surveying and Mapping.

The willow fences were built upon the remains of the oak walls in the Qing Dynasty (AD 1636 - 1911), after the wooden structures corroded and collapsed, said the report.

Historical records attributed the oak walls to the Ming Dynasty (AD 1368 - 1644), when defensive walls were rebuilt from stone, earth, and wood in some parts.

The Great Wall was originally built in the Warring States Period (475 BC - 206 BC) to defend China against northern nomadic tribes. But most of the standing walls, which extend nearly 9,000-km in north China, were rebuilt in later dynasties, including Ming.

一提起长城，人们就会想到是由坚硬的砖石砌成，但是在辽宁省境内的明长城却证实有“木长城”的存在。

辽宁省文物局与辽宁省测绘局近日完成的长城资源调查报告，披露了最新的勘查成果，从已发现的长城遗迹看，位于辽宁东部山区的木柞墙遗存为明长城的一部分。以树木作为墙体在中国明长城中还鲜有发现。

辽宁东部山区山林众多，主要树种为柞树，构筑材料颇为充足，柞树质地坚硬，耐腐蚀，加工便利，成为辽东“木柞墙”的首选材料。如在辽宁省丹东市叆阳附近的山体上尚留有较多柳条边的痕迹，这可能就是清代推倒或利用明代木柞墙后，借用原有的基础经简单修筑而成柳条边。这样的段落多在腐朽不存的木柞墙地带，保存有壕堑。

 “木长城”的存在也在史籍中得到印证。《全辽志》卷二“障塞”条记载：“自孤山南界至江沿台西界止，木柞墙共六千八百一十七丈。自马根单起至孤山南界，五千四百四十七丈。”史籍中记载的“木柞墙”长度换算成今天的长度计量单位约为41公里。

刘谦《明辽东镇长城及防御考》的记载：在今本溪县碱场公社西南有名为“木栅墙”的地方，位于长城沿线上。丹东凤城二道沟长城、裕太长城也是此类木柞墙。

参加长城资源调查的辽宁省考古专家王绵厚说：“长城的修建大多是就地取材，辽东的‘木长城’符合当地的地形地貌，木材原料也和当地植被吻合。”

不过，“木长城”本体因自然条件变化而侵蚀，并因时间久远塌陷，对辽东“木长城”的具体分布和长度没有确切的勘测结果。

明长城东起辽宁虎山，西至甘肃嘉峪关，从东向西行经10个省份，总长8851.8千米。辽宁境内的明代长城，史称“辽东边墙”，是明代洪武年间开始陆续修筑的我国北方“九镇”长城防御体系中的重要组成部分和东起点。

辽宁明长城的墙体，可分为人工修筑的墙体和利用自然地势形成的墙体两大类。人工墙体又可分为四种形式：石墙、土墙、山险墙、木柞墙。利用自然地势形成的墙体有山险和河险。

（中文新闻摘自新华网）