China publishes top 10 archaeological discoveries of last year

Guan Qiang, deputy director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, said the listed projects represent the pinnacle of archaeological achievements last year.

The finds serve as vivid evidence of the enduring heritage and profound civilisation of the Chinese nation, he added.

Among the finds is the Bashan group of sites, which is a conglomeration of more than 80 Palaeolithic relics concentrated in the Bashan ruins located in Yishui County, Shandong Province.

It collects evidence of ancient human activities dating from 100,000 to 50,000 years ago and shows the evolution of stone tools in response to environmental changes since the late Pleistocene.

Shipwreck Sites No. 1 and No. 2 in the northwestern South China Sea, discovered in October 2022, are located on the seabed between Hainan Island and the Xisha Islands. This is reported by Prensa Latina, a partner of TV BRICS.

They contain many relics including ceramics, porcelain, bronze, iron, bamboo and wood, which shed light on trade and cultural interaction in the region in ancient times.

The findings at Zhaigou indicate a highly developed bronze civilisation in the north of Shaanxi Province during the late Shang Dynasty, which allows us to study the political and geographical structure as well as cultural exchange and interaction between the central plains and border areas.