The Archaeotectural Exploration of the 13th Century Terraced Building F1 at the Laogulou Yashu Archaeological Site in Chongqing, China

The Laogulou Yashu Archaeological Site in Chongqing represented a significant discovery in the study of medieval Chinese urban heritage. Among its remains, the 13th century terraced building F1 stood out for its scale and function as a governmental qiaolou (gate tower). This study reconstructed the original architectural design of F1 using an archaeotectural approach that integrated archaeological evidence and Song Dynasty architectural treatises, especially Yingzao Fashi, and comparatively analysed the building with contemporaneous structures and visual references. By applying the statistical estimation of historical measurement units (chi), typological analysis based on modular standards (cai) and the interpretive modelling of structural elements, the research offered a historically grounded and dimensionally coherent reconstruction. The study not only enhanced the understanding of Southern Song governmental architecture but also contributed a replicable methodological framework for reconstructing complex historical buildings from fragmentary archaeological data.