On February 26, the preliminary evaluation results of the top ten new archaeological discoveries in China in 2021 were announced. According to the voting results, the top 20 projects with the top 20 votes, such as the Pirao Ruins of Daocheng in Sichuan, the Shicun Ruins in Xia County, Shanxi, the Ruins of Zhangjiachuan in Gansu, and the Huangshan Ruins in Nanyang, Henan, were shortlisted for the final evaluation of the Top Ten New Archaeological Discoveries in China in 2021.
2021 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of modern Chinese archaeology. There are many important archaeological achievements participating in the preliminary evaluation. It is reported that a total of 227 votes were issued in this preliminary evaluation, including 91 group votes and 136 council votes. All groups and directors actively voted, and a total of 209 valid votes were recovered, and the participation rate of the judges was 92.1%. Some archaeological findings have been unanimously recognized by the judges, the project with the first number of votes was shortlisted for the final evaluation with 209 votes, the top ten projects received more than 149 votes, and many projects received the same number of votes, and the competition was very fierce.
Sichuan Daocheng Pirao site Ashley technical system combination
Three-dimensional modeling of the excavation area of the Shicun site in Xia County, Shanxi
Distribution of large houses F43 at the zhangjiachuan ruins in Gansu Province (orthographic photography)
After the F2 pottery of the Huangshan Ruins in Nanyang, Henan was repaired
The semicircular wooden pillars of the ruins of JimingCheng in Lixian County, Hunan Province, and the two sides of the wooden pillars are perforated obliquely
The 20 archaeological excavation projects shortlisted for the final evaluation show the following characteristics: From the perspective of site age, the 20 projects shortlisted for the final evaluation include 7 prehistoric archaeology, 6 xia, Shang and Zhou archaeology, 1 archaeology of the Qin, Han, Wei, Jin, southern and northern dynasties, and 6 archaeology of the Tang, Song, And Yuanming dynasties. The prehistoric archaeological achievements are still fruitful, followed by the archaeology of Xia Shang Zhou and the archaeology of Tang, Song and Yuanming. From the perspective of geographical distribution, the 20 archaeological discoveries shortlisted for the final evaluation came from 15 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government). Among them, Shanxi, Zhejiang, Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces all had 2 finalists, accounting for half of the preliminary evaluation. The remaining Hebei, Heilongjiang, Anhui, Jiangxi, Shandong, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Xinjiang, Tibet and other regions each entered the shortlist. The shortlisted projects are widely distributed in provinces and the geographical distribution is relatively uniform.
Zhejiang Yuyao Shi'ao site in the western district of Hemudu culture late rice field
Pottery excavated from the Gangshang Site in Tengzhou, Shandong Province, in 2021 from the Dawenkou Culture Tomb
A gold mask was unearthed from pit No. 5 in the sacrifice area of the Guanghan Sanxingdui site in Sichuan
Shaanxi Baoji Zhouyuan site Wangjiazui No. 1 base site
Zhejiang Qujiang West Zhou high-grade mound tomb group Miaoshan tip mound tomb excavated part of the bronze ware
At the same time, there are many kinds of ruins and rich connotations. From large Paleolithic wilderness sites to prehistoric settlements in the Yangshao period, from the large rammed earth building sites of the ZhouYuan ruins in the pre-Zhou period to the Ming Zhongdu ruins of "building without use", from the desert and inaccessible frontier beacon sites to the ancient and modern Superimposed Kaiyuan Temple South Ruins that attracted the public to watch... With the continuous expansion of Chinese archaeology, the gradual clarity of the site pattern and the increasing richness of historical and cultural connotations are also reflected in the shortlisted projects.
Shanxi Yuanqu North White Goose Cemetery "Taibao 匽中" copper Ding
Jiangxi Zhangshu Guozishan Warring States Tomb Bu Shou Ge (戟) front and back
Hubei Yunmeng Zhengjiahu Cemetery M274 Long Wen Yao
Clothed pottery figurines were unearthed from the pit outside the tomb in Jiangcun, Xi'an, Shaanxi
The tomb group of the Tuguhun royal family in Wuwei, Gansu Province, excavated the tomb of Murong Zhi
It is worth mentioning that three settlement sites in the Yangshao period were selected at the same time. The site of Shicun in Xia County, Shanxi Is the early site of Yangshao, which has the richest content excavated so far in the remains of settlements in southern Shanxi; the ruins of Zhangjiachuan, Gansu, which has a triple ring trench on the land of Longyuan, empirically prove that the Loess Plateau in eastern Gansu is another core of Yangshao culture; the Huangshan site in Nanyang, Henan, not only discovers a large settlement in the Yangshao period, but also the discovery of its jade processing site further fills the gap of Neolithic jade workshops in the Central Plains. In addition, the "prehistoric wooden mansion" found at the site of Jimingcheng in Lixian County, Hunan Province, the site of Yuyao Shi'ao in Zhejiang Province, which witnessed the "field" of the vicissitudes of the sea, and the cemetery of Zhengjiahu in Hubei Yunmeng, where the "first long Wenmu Yao" was unearthed, are all amazing, and after the unremitting efforts of archaeologists, important archaeological discoveries emerge in an endless stream, not only establishing a historical time and space framework, but also enriching the historical context and branches, which is of great significance in exploring the origin and development of Chinese civilization.
Go pieces unearthed from the Dangxiong Cemetery in Lhasa, Tibet
Some documents have been excavated from the site of Yulikk Kuduk Beacon in Xinjiang
The south gate of Kaiyuan Temple (F2) in the Jinyuan period of Hebei Zhengding Kaiyuan Temple south gate from south to north
Aerial photo of the excavation area of jinshangjing site in 2021 (upper west and lower east)
Aerial view of the excavation site in the former dynasty palace area of The Ruins of Ming Zhongdu in Fengyang, Anhui
Top 10 new archaeological discoveries in China in 2021
Shortlisted for final evaluation projects
(In chronological order)
1. Sichuan Daocheng Pyro Ruins
2. The ruins of Shicun In Xia County, Shanxi
3. Gansu Zhangjiachuan Ruins
4. Huangshan Ruins in Nanyang, Henan
5. Ruins of Jiming City in Lixian County, Hunan
6. Zhejiang Yuyao Shi'ao Ruins
7. Gangshang Ruins in Tengzhou, Shandong
8. Sichuan Guanghan Sanxingdui ruins sacrifice area
9. Shaanxi Baoji Zhouyuan ruins
10. Zhejiang Qujiang Xizhou high-grade mound tomb group
11. Shanxi Yuanqu North White Goose Cemetery
12. Jiangxi Zhangshu Guozishan Warring States Tomb
13. Hubei Yunmeng Zhengjiahu Cemetery
14. Great Tomb of Jiangcun, Xi'an, Shaanxi
15. Gansu Wuwei Tang Dynasty Tuguhun royal family tomb group
16. Dangxiong Cemetery in Lhasa, Tibet
17. Xinjiang Weilikyak Kuduk Beacon Site
18. Hebei Zhengding Kaiyuan Temple South Ruins
19. Heilongjiang Acheng Jinshangjing Ruins
20. Anhui Fengyang Ming Zhongdu Ruins
(Photo courtesy of Wenbo China)
Editor-in-charge: Wu Min