City slowly reveals its history

Highlighted artifacts unearthed from this site provide further proof. For example, archaeologists have found jade books recording the deaths of Jin royalty and an official's seal, showing that Jin-era Zhongdu was a political center for the dynasty, Wang says.

A large amount of high quality porcelain produced at famous kilns like the Jun Kiln, in what is now Yuzhou, Henan province, and the Ding Kiln, in what is now Baoding, Hebei province, has been unearthed. Some display features of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) and Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) in Korea.

"The porcelain finds are evidence of the highly developed manufacturing of the Jin Dynasty and busy commercial activities in the city. They also prove that Jin Zhongdu was a commercial center, with its influence reaching neighboring areas," says Wang.

Articles of daily use and for entertainment, like chess pieces, inkstones, incense burners and combs, have also been found.

Established by the Jurchen people who overthrew the Liao Dynasty, the Jin Dynasty once occupied a vast swathe of what is today's northern China. They established a capital in Shangjing (Upper Capital) in present-day Harbin, Heilongjiang province, then moved it to Zhongdu in 1153.

Discoveries from the site illustrate the historical process that followed the move from Shangjing to Zhongdu. The large number of artifacts show the material achievements of the city at the time and vividly showcase the technological development level, art forms, and social life under the Jin Dynasty, Wang says.

"This provides plentiful evidence for the study of architectural craftsmanship, urban layout, handicraft development, and commercial trade during the Jin Dynasty," she adds.