This article is reproduced from: Xinhua News Agency
The Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences unveiled the "2021 New Discoveries of Chinese Archaeology" in Beijing on the 18th. Six archaeological projects, including the Paleolithic Ruins of Piluo in Daocheng County, Sichuan, the Neolithic Ruins of Huangshan Mountain in Nanyang City, Henan, the Sanxingdui Shang Dynasty Ruins in Guanghan City, Sichuan, the Guozishan Warring States Tomb in Zhangshu City, Jiangxi Province, the Qinhan Cemetery of the Warring States of Zhengjiahu in Yunmeng County, Hubei Province, and the Tuguhun Royal Family Tomb Group of the Tang Dynasty in Wuwei City, Gansu Province, were selected.
From prehistory to the Tang Dynasty, it is either familiar or unfamiliar. What did these selected projects find? Why do archaeologists find them important? We've put together the highlights for you.
Paleolithic site of Pirao, Daocheng County, Sichuan
Site strata and excavated relics
Thin-bladed axes were collected from the trailing edge section of area B of the site
The Pirlo site covers an area of about 1 million square meters and is a super-large Paleolithic site rare at home and abroad. The site fills a key missing link in the Ashel technical system, connects the Asheli cultural transmission belt between the East and the West, and has special value and significance for understanding the migration and cultural communication and exchange of ancient people in the East and the West, and the continuous stratigraphic accumulation, intact burial conditions and clear stone tool technology evolution sequence of the site show the ability, method and historical process of early humans to conquer the extreme environment at high altitudes.
Neolithic site of Huangshan Mountain in Nanyang City, Henan Province
Summit Terrace Exploration (North on the top)
Qujialing culture Yu Huang
The Huangshan ruins are a central settlement site with distinctive characteristics of Yangshao culture, Qujialing culture and Shijiahe culture jade ware making. The Large-scale Production of Jade Ware in the Shijiahe Cultural Period also filled the gap in the Neolithic jade handicraft system in the Central Plains and the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, and together with the remains of bone making, provided an important clue for exploring the specialization of handicraft production and social division of labor at that time.
Sanxingdui Shang Dynasty ruins in Guanghan City, Sichuan Province
Pit Five unearthed a gold mask
Floor plan of Pit 8
The newly discovered ruins and relics of the Sanxingdui Shang Dynasty site enriched the cultural connotation of the Sanxingdui site, promoted the study of the sacrifice rituals and sacrifice system of the Sanxingdui site and the ancient Shu civilization, and further explained the basic understanding that the ancient Shu civilization is an important part of Chinese civilization.
Jiangxi Zhangshu City Guozishan Warring States Tomb
Kokuzayama Grave Funeral Room
Kokujiyama Grave Funeral Ship Type Main Coffin
The excavation of the Guozishan tomb filled the archaeological gap in the Eastern Zhou Period of Jiangxi Province, and provided key materials for the construction and improvement of the archaeological and cultural sequence of the two-week period in the region. The excavation of this tomb is also a new breakthrough in the archaeology of Yue and Yue cultures, which has opened up a new situation for the study of Baiyue culture, which is of great value for the study of the relationship between Wu yue and Chu and the evolution of the political pattern in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty of the Jiangxi region as the "Wu tou Chuwei", and provides direct evidence for the exploration of the process of "pluralism and integration of Chinese civilization" in the region.
Hubei Yunmeng County Zhengjiahu Warring States Qin Han Cemetery
Relics excavated from the Qin and Han cemeteries of the Warring States of Zhengjiahu
Wooden
A number of precious written materials have been unearthed from the Qin and Han cemeteries of the Warring States of Zhengjiahu, one of which is a long wooden mu (a kind of polygonal wooden mu, with a full text of about 700 words, the font is typical of Qin Li, and the Text records that the strategists lobbied the Qin King to sleep in the army and establish righteousness, and the style and style are similar to the "Warring States Policy". It is the earliest and longest wooden inscription seen so far, and its connotation is rich. The Yao wen is not found in the records of the successive generations, providing us with a new type of policy and inquiry literature, enriching the political history materials of the late Warring States period, and is a precious text for studying the social thought of that time.
Wuwei City, Gansu Province, Tang Dynasty Tuguhun royal family tomb group
Distribution map of tuguhun royal family tomb group
A complete set of gold and silver dining utensils excavated from the tomb of Murong Zhi, a tomb group of the Tuguhun royal family
The discovery of the Tuguhun royal family tomb group in Wuwei vividly reveals the historical facts that the Tuguhun ethnic group has gradually integrated into the Chinese civilization system in the past hundred years since its return to the Tang Dynasty, provided an important foundation for promoting the sustainable development and protection and utilization of the Tuguhun royal family large ruins in wuwei area, and provided a new research direction for the enrichment and improvement of the Silk Road cultural system.
Reporters: Xu Zhuang and Shi Yucen
Editors: Jia Zhen, Leng Yanyan
Video, image source: Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Archaeology Magazine