China's 100 major archaeological discoveries in the 20th century

In 2001, the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences organized a poll for China's 100 major archaeological discoveries in the 20th century (Chinese: 中国20世纪100项考古大发现). The participants included eight national-level institutions for archaeology and cultural relics, provincial-level archaeological institutes from 28 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions, as well as from Hong Kong, the archaeological departments of 11 major national universities, and many other scholars in Beijing. After three months and three rounds of voting, the results were announced on 29 March 2001 and were published in the journal Kaogu (Archaeology).[1] In 2002, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Press published the book China's 100 Major Archaeological Discoveries in the 20th Century (二十世纪中国百项考古大发现), with more than 500 pages and 1,512 pictures.[2]

An inscribed oracle bone from Yinxu, which received the most votes in the poll

Among all the candidates, the late-Shang dynasty capital Yinxu received the highest number of votes.[1] Other sites that received high votes include Zhoukoudian, Banpo, Erlitou, Sanxingdui, Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor and the Terracotta Army, Han dynasty Chang'an, Juyan Han ruins, the Yungang Grottoes, the Longmen Grottoes, the Dunhuang Grottoes, Luoyang of Sui–Tang dynasties, and the Dingling mausoleum.[1]

Of the 100 discoveries selected, 51% were made by scientific initiative, whereas 31% were made accidentally and 10% were rescue archaeology.[3] More than half of the academic discoveries were made in the Yellow River region, reflecting the traditional view, held by most archaeologists until the 1980s, that the Chinese civilization originated there. By contrast, other regions such as the Yangtze River valley accounted for two thirds of the accidental discoveries, typically found during construction.[3]

List by chronology

The 100 major archaeological discoveries selected include 7 discoveries from the Palaeolithic Age, 30 from the Neolithic Age, 23 from the Xia–Shang–Zhou era, 24 from the Qin and Han to the Northern and Southern dynasties, and 16 from the Sui–Tang and later dynasties.[1] The list below is ordered chronologically, from the oldest to the most recent.[4]

Palaeolithic Age
Peking Man skull (replica)
Neolithic Age
Pottery bowl with pig image, Hemudu culture
Neolithic city wall at Chengziya
Jade cong of the Liangzhu culture
Xia, Shang, and Zhou
Houmuwu ding from Yinxu
Bronze figure from Sanxingdui
Bronze bianzhong from the Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng
Qin, Han, Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties
Terracotta Army of the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor
2nd-century BC silk painting from Mawangdui
Sui, Tang, and later dynasties
Buddha's relic from the pagoda base of the Famen Temple

See also

References
  1. "专家评出"中国20世纪100项考古大发现"". Sohu (in Chinese). 30 March 2001.
  2. "《二十世纪中国百项考古大发现》出版". People's Daily (in Chinese). 28 June 2002.
  3. Szonyi, Michael (6 February 2017). A Companion to Chinese History. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 13–14. ISBN 978-1-118-62460-9.
  4. "20世纪中国100项考古大发现" (in Chinese). Fudan University. 30 March 2009.
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