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Shaanxi unveils 2024’s top six archaeological discoveries
Published: Jan 13, 2025 09:53 PM
Photo: Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology

Photo: Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology


On Monday, Northwest China's Shaanxi Province unveiled the "Top Six 2024 New Archaeological Discoveries in Shaanxi." The province, situated in China's hinterland, is regarded as the cradle of Chinese civilization and the birthplace of Huaxia culture.

These six major archaeological discoveries, located across various places in Shaanxi, span a timeline from 600,000 years ago to the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). The findings range from stone tools to bronze and gold artifacts, showcasing the province's rich historical and cultural heritage.

A total of 12 new Paleolithic sites were found in the city of Fuping in the Shichuanhe River Basin. The right bank features the Zhoujiamiao site, dating from 600,000 to 30,000 years ago, while the left bank boasts the Zhuhuangbao site. Excavations at Zhuhuangbao site revealed fire use traces, over 26,000 stone tools, and 500 animal fossils, dating from 300,000 to 40,000 years ago.

The discovery and excavation of the Shichuanhe sites have filled a significant gap in the distribution of Paleolithic remains in the central Weibei region. These findings have extended the timeline of human activities in the area from around 7,000 years ago to over 600,000 years ago, while the wealth of cultural relics unearthed provides invaluable new data for studying the evolution of stone tools and human behaviors in the Weibei area and the middle reaches of the Yellow River.

Located in Xianyang, the Xiejiahe site has yielded significant Yangshao culture (a Neolithic culture tracing back to 5000 to 3000 BC that existed extensively along the Yellow River) and Warring States period (475BC-221BC) artifacts, including multiple housing structures of Yangshao culture with unique forms, which provide valuable insights into house and settlement patterns of the Yangshao culture.

The Changchun site, located in Weinan, spans about 3 million square meters. Archaeologists have identified two main areas: a residential zone and a large public cemetery. Preliminary findings suggest the site was an important fief in the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046BC-771BC), and it provides new insights into the feudal system and political structure of this period.

Located in Baoji, the Weijiaya site covers about 1 million square meters. Excavations since 2022 have unearthed remains mainly from the Qin state during the Spring and Autumn period (770BC-476BC) and Warring States period, including city ruins, burial sites, horse pits and craft pits.

The Anhuamen site in Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi, reveals the three-way gate structure, along with water channels and bridges from the Sui Dynasty (581-618), offering crucial insights into the city's planning and its water conservancy establishment during Sui and Tang (618-907) dynasties.

Discovered in a village of Chang'an district in Xi'an, the cemetery of the Fan family contains 10 confirmed and 20 suspected graves of the family, providing important materials for studying burial customs and societal norms of Northern Song literati.

Global Times