DOZENS of ancient stone grenades have been unearthed at the Great Wall of China.
The weapons are a particularly great find because they’re inscribed with an eerie warning message from 400 years ago.
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According to Chinese news agency Xinhua, archaeoloIgists excavated 59 stone grenades.
They were found in the remains of a storehouse beside the most visited section of the Great Wall of China.
The area is known as the Great Wall of Badaling.
It’s built in the Ming dynasty which lasted from around 1368 to 1644.
The discovery of the grenades revealed to experts that early gunpowder weapons were used during this time 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 gunpowder discovery.
He told the outlet: “I’ve argued the Ming dynasty was the world’s first ‘Gunpowder Empire.”
Adding: “The grenades recently discovered on the Great Wall are very much in keeping with its history.”
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No photographs of the stone grenades have been released yet.
They’re said to be inscribed with a warning to guards to keep a lookout for enemies.
It’s thought the weapons were capable of settings things on fire.
Although primitive compared to today’s grenades, it’s likely they would have exploded with force due to the gunpowder.
Archaelogists also claim to have found a new stone fort during the dig.
The for remains were found alongside artefacts like shovels and stoves.
