The 1,000-year-old palace of the Khitan dynasty in China

Archaeologists have discovered the remains of an ancient palace that served as a summer retreat for the Liao Dynasty emperors, Newsweek reports. To escape the heat, each year from mid-April to mid-July, the Liao emperor would take his entire royal family and high-ranking officials to the mountains that are now part of China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Archaeologists found more than 100 structural elements at the site in Duolun County, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, including glazed bricks, ceramics and bronze nails. They recorded the foundations of 12 buildings with a total area of ​​more than 232 square meters. Ge Zhiyong, a researcher at the Institute of Archaeology of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, said the artifacts excavated from the site helped determine that the palace was built during the mid-Liao Dynasty.

The discovery of the palace will give archaeologists new insights into both the architecture and cultural customs of the Liao Dynasty. Large-scale excavations will be conducted at the site.

The Liao Dynasty was founded by the Khitans. They were nomadic people living in present-day Mongolia and many areas of northern China, Russia, and Korea. On February 27, 907, the leader of the Khitans, Yelü Abaoji, declared himself "Emperor of Heaven". On March 17, 916, Yelü Abaoji ascended the throne and took the national title "Khitan". In 947, the national title was changed to "Great Liao". In 1125, the Liao Dynasty collapsed and was destroyed by the Jin Dynasty.

Although initially lacking a written language to express the original Mongolian dialect, the Liao dynasty developed two scripts that share many characteristics with modern Chinese characters. Liao emperors continued to expand their territory but placed great emphasis on maintaining pure royal bloodlines, with emperors barred from marrying from the conquered Khitan tribes. However, Liao women had considerable political influence, with at least three empresses serving as regents.