Top 10 archaeological discoveries of 2018 in China Announced
After presentations and discussions, the top ten most significant archaeological discoveries in 2018 was announced on March 29th in Beijing. A news release conference organized by the China National Administration of Cultural Heritage, the Cultural Relics News and Society of Chinese Archaeology. Last year’s top 10 discoveries are as follows:
1 The earliest squatting burial in South China found at Qingtang site, Guangdong
2 Large Cemetery of Qujialing Culture Discovered at Chenghe Site, Hubei Province
3 Large artificial platforms and remains of several regular courtyards discovered in Lushanmao site, Shaan’xi Province
4 The Bronze Age settlement Found at Jirentai Pass Site in Nilka County, Xinjiang
5 Cemetery of Late Shang Dynasty Found in Wenxi Couty, Shanxi
6 Important discovery in the Liujiawa cemetery of the Rui state at Chengcheng, Shaanxi Province
7 River ways from Tang-Song Dynasties found in Huangsipu site in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu Province
8 A royal palace of Jin Dynasty found in Chongli District, Hebei Province
9The Administrative Office of Southern Song Dynasty Found
in Diaoyucheng, Chongqing
10 Sino-Japanese War shipwreck found in NE China
1 The earliest squatting burial in South China found at Qingtang site, Guangdong
Excavated in Yingde city in Guangdong Province, the Qingtang Ruins are the remains of cave residences dating from the transitional period between the Paleolithic and Neolithic. Since 2016, experts and scholars have uncovered a number of important relics at the site, including tombs and fireplaces. More than 10,000 items have been unearthed so far, including ancient human fossils, animal bones, stone tools, pottery works and cowrie shells, according to a report from chinanews.com.
Consisting of a group of caves, the Qingtang Ruins reveal the settlement patterns of humans living in South China around 25,000 to 10,000 years ago and give insight into China's historical transition from a hunter-gatherer society to an early agricultural society.
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2 Large Cemetery of Qujialing Culture Discovered at Chenghe Site, Hubei Province
Located in Shayang county, Central China's Hubei Province, the Chenghe Ruins are the remains of an important city belonging to the late Shijiahe (4600 BC-4000 BC) and early Qujialing cultures (3300 BC-2600 BC).
Important finds include city walls, man-made water systems, large courtyard buildings and their ancillary facilities, general residential sites, pottery production areas, a large cemetery and sacrificial items, all of which reveals the level of development of the Qujialing Culture, scholar Peng Xiaobing told the Guangming Daily.
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3 Large artificial platforms and remains of several regular courtyards discovered in Lushanmao site, Shaan’xi Province
These Neolithic ruins were excavated in Lushanmao, a village near Yan'an, Shaanxi Province. The site, dating to 4,800 years ago, covers an area of more than 2 million square meters, according to a report from the Guangming Daily.
According to the Shaanxi Daily, a large man-made foundation and a number of regular courtyards with jade-carved works have been discovered. The ruins are also one of the earliest prototypes of later Chinese palaces.
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4 The Bronze Age settlement Found at Jirentai Pass Site in Nilka County, Xinjiang
The Jirentai Pass Site is located at the mouth of the Jirentai Valley in Nilka County, Ili prefecture, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The site is consisted of two parts, the Residential Area and the Platform Area. The discovery of Jirentai Pass site discovered because construction was planned there in 2015. In 2015, 2016 and 2018, the archaeology team conducted three excavations at the site. It is the largest and earliest settlement remain of the Bronze Age found in the Ili River valley up to date, which provided important data for research the settlement formation and the establishment of the sequence of the prehistoric archaeological cultures in this area.
5 Cemetery of Late Shang Dynasty Found in Wenxi Couty, Shanxi
Through investigation and exploration, 12 tombs, 6 horse and chariot pits and 5 ash pits of Late Shang Dynasty were discovered, while among the tombs, there were 5 large ones with burial passages, and 7 middle to small size earthen shafts pit tombs. It is rare to find Late Shang Dynasty Cemetery outside Yinxu Ruins. According to the inscription on the bronze ware, it is predicted to be the 匿 state.Jiuwutou Cemetery in Wenxi County was a new discovered large high-ranked noble cemetery of Late Shang Dynasty, while it was the first time discovering Late Shang Dynasty’s noble cemetery in Yuncheng Area, which was significant for the study of Late Shang Dynasty’s Yinxu Culture’s distribution range, political geography, as well as Yuncheng Area’s political position of Late Shang Dynasty.
6 Important discovery in the Liujiawa cemetery of the Rui state at Chengcheng, Shaanxi Province
Discovered in Liujiawa village, Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, this site contains the ruins of a small city, a residence and a cemetery. A large number of bronzes, as well as precious cultural relics made from gold, jade, iron, clay and lacquered wood have been unearthed, leading scholars to deduce that the residents belonged to upper-class society.
After two years of excavation, experts surmise that this site was the capital city of Rui, a small state that existed during the late Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770 BC-256 BC). The discovery of the Liujiawa ruins is of great significance for research into the history of the Zhou Dynasty and the society of eastern Shaanxi Province.
7 River ways from Tang-Song Dynasties found in Huangsipu site in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu Province
After more than ten years’ archaeological works of Huangsipu site, cultural appearances of the site become more and more clear. Plenty of bricks, tiles and porcelain shards from deposits and relatively regularly distributed wood posts discovered in river ways from Tang-Song dynasties all reflected that Huangsipu used to be a port, very prosperous and playing an important role in the history of Southern Yangtze Region.
8 A royal palace of Jin Dynasty found in Chongli District, Hebei Province
Located roughly 150 kilometers northwest of Beijing, the Taizicheng Ancient City Remains were discovered in the Chongli district of Zhangjiakou, North China's Hebei Province. Items discovered on site point to it dating from the Jin (1115-1234), a Jurchen empire that ruled over northern China. The site covers an area of about 140,000 square meters and contained relics of unusually high quality and in some cases bearing royal marks. It was most likely the location of an important royal palace during the Jin and has proven extremely valuable for research into the time period.
More Detail:9The Administrative Office of Southern Song Dynasty Found n Diaoyucheng, Chongqing
Based on the present discovery, the Southern Song Dynasty’s Yashu building ruins at Fanjiayan was near 15000 square meters, which was the only well preserved Song Dynasty’s Yashu building with large scientific excavation, unearthed plenty features and relics, provided academic value, historical significance and precious materials for the study of Song Dynasty’s city and Yashu Building’s development, ancient architecture, ancient fire weapon and Song-Yuan Dynasties’ war. It was the core of Shancheng Site of the war between Song and Mongol in Diaoyucheng, which offered strong support for Diaoyucheng’s application for the list of world heritage.
10 Sino-Japanese War shipwreck found in NE China
The Discovery of “Jingyuan Ship” is another important achievement after the discovery of “Zhiyuan Ship”. Its nameplate is the only one of Beiyang Fleet being found so far, and the materials, technologies and installation methods are figured out for the first time. The discovery provides rich materials for researches on history of world navy ships. Further improvements on underwater archaeological survey of shipwrecks of Beiyang Fleet play significant role in enhancing researches on modern Chinese history, development history of Chinese navy and history of world naval war and so on.