Our interdisciplinary investigation of the stone collection and construction process of Liangzhu City walls offers important evidence to understand the engineering and organization behind the construction. We examined spatial distributions, physical and petrological characteristics of the stones discovered from our excavations of representative wall sections. These results were compared with similar aspects as well as sedimentation contexts and availability of the surveyed stones from the surrounding regions to identify the source areas for the stone collection. We developed criteria based on physical and petrological characteristics and spatial distribution of stones for the identification of construction units and estimated the volume of stones for each unit. We concluded that even though the overall scale of stonework construction was enormous, the actual tasks of stone collection and construction were likely completed by small individual working groups. Liangzhu workers preferred to collect directly available, hand‐portable stones from source areas. However, some areas with suitable stone sources were neglected by Liangzhu workers. The total workforce may have followed a central organization, and many groups likely worked simultaneously. Through the repeated efforts of numerous small working groups, Liangzhu society constructed a massive, multicomponent infrastructure. Our study holds implications for wider archaeological research of ancient stone architecture.

中文翻译：

---

让石头说话：史前长江下游良zhu市的石头收集和建造的跨学科调查

我们对良zhu市城墙的石材收集和建造过程的跨学科研究为了解建造背后的工程和组织提供了重要的证据。我们检查了有代表性的墙体开挖发现的石头的空间分布，物理和岩石学特征。将这些结果与相似的方面，沉积环境和来自周围地区的被调查石头的可利用性进行比较，从而确定收集石头的来源地区。我们根据物理和岩石学特征以及石头的空间分布制定了标准，以识别建筑单位，并估算了每个单位的石头体积。我们得出的结论是，即使石雕建筑的整体规模巨大，石材收集和建造的实际任务很可能是由较小的单个工作组完成的。良zhu工人更喜欢从来源地区收集直接可得的，手提的石头。但是，良zhu工人却忽略了一些有合适石材来源的地区。整个员工队伍可能跟随一个中央组织，许多团体可能同时工作。经过众多小型工作组的反复努力，良zhu社会构建了庞大的，多组件的基础设施。我们的研究对古代石建筑的更广泛的考古学研究具有启示意义。良zhu工人忽视了一些有合适石材来源的地区。整个员工队伍可能跟随一个中央组织，许多团体可能同时工作。经过众多小型工作组的反复努力，良zhu社会构建了庞大的，多组件的基础设施。我们的研究对古代石建筑的更广泛的考古学研究具有启示意义。良zhu工人忽视了一些有合适石材来源的地区。整个员工队伍可能跟随一个中央组织，许多团体可能同时工作。经过众多小型工作组的反复努力，良zhu社会构建了庞大的，多组件的基础设施。我们的研究对古代石建筑的更广泛的考古学研究具有启示意义。