The most important discoveries made by Chinese archaeologists over the year

(ORDO NEWS) — This list contains facts that suggest that the hypothesis that all the ancestors of modern people were from Africa may need to be revised.

In the Paleolithic Jiege Dong cave, which is located in the urban district of Hanzhong, Shaanxi Province, archaeologists have found human remains and stone tools – they can be from fifteen to one hundred thousand years. According to the head of the Institute of Archeology of the Academy of Social Sciences of the People’s Republic of China, Chen Xingqiang, these are world-class finds.

“According to the materials received, human activity in this region was almost continuous. Findings provide important clues to further studies of the origin of modern man in East Asia,” Chen says.

The oldest jade objects in China, which are estimated to be about nine thousand years old, were found in Xiaonan Shan Mound in Raohe County, Heilongjiang Province – more than a hundred items and tools for processing them.

“This will change our understanding of Chinese jade,” Chen says. According to Chen, in this settlement near the Russian-Chinese border there was a settlement of ancient people that existed from 17 thousand years ago until the era of Western Han (206 BC – 24 AD). Here were found the oldest pottery to date in northern China, which is about 14 thousand years old.

Considering how long the history of jade in China is, one more hill fort from the list is Hanxia in Dunhuang City County, Gansu Province, where jade mining flourished for almost two millennia before the Han era (206 BC – 220 AD .) – will help archaeologists find out where the raw materials for elegant artifacts came from.

A similar object is the Siubi hillfort in Shanxi province, where the production of bronze products was rapidly developing.

“Bronze appeared in West Asia before,” said Wang Wei, president of the Chinese Archaeological Society. “But when technology came to China, about 4,500 years ago, a unique ceremonial system gradually developed based on much more complex bronze artifacts. Finds from Sibi can shed light the production of bronze items, which once influenced the emergence of powerful kings, “says Wang.

2019 was a breakthrough year for Chinese archeology. 1,096 Excavations Started in China – More Than Ever

Exploring ancient Chinese cities can be a big step forward thanks to the Pinglantai fortress in Henan, which is more than four thousand years old. Traces of a sewer system, competent urban planning, and the oldest gauge in China from two-wheeled vehicles were found in it.

Another ancient Chinese city of Huangcheng – part of the Shimao ruins in Shenmue city county of Shaanxi province, which is more than four thousand years old – asks more questions than answers.

The Shimao ruins, covering an area of ​​four million square meters, have been of great interest to archaeologists over the past few years, who have been trying to understand what kind of civilization lived there. When last year archaeologists discovered a huge terrace, where the magnificent walls and 70 carved stone totems were preserved, they became even more interested in the significance of this ancient city.

“The terrace may indicate that a political or religious center was located here,” Wang said. “There is a close relationship between other finds and Chinese artifacts from later periods. Now it’s hard to even evaluate what these findings mean to study the origin of Chinese civilization.”

From the ruins of a city from the Han era in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to the wreckage of the Nanhai-1 ship from the Tang era (618 – 907) raised from the bottom of the sea off the coast of Guangdong province – finds from various periods in the top 10 list belong to history The Silk Road and its maritime counterpart, which contributed to the links between different cultures.

Perhaps making the top 10 was not easy, since 2019 was a breakthrough year for Chinese archeology. 1,096 excavations have begun in China last year, more than ever, said Sun Hsinchao, deputy director of the State Committee for the Protection of Cultural Heritage.

The annual list was compiled by the Beijing newspaper Zhongovenwu (Monuments of Chinese Culture). Due to the outbreak of the new coronavirus, the compilation and publication of the top 10 list took place in an online format.

Daily from May 1 to May 5 live broadcasts of the final stage could be seen on the Internet. The leaders of 20 finalist projects conducted online presentations and answered questions from the jury. According to official statistics, over five days, live broadcasts on various online platforms have attracted a total of more than 28 million viewers.

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