China unveils top 10 archaeological discoveries of 2025

(ECNS) -- China has unveiled its 2025 list of the top 10 archaeological discoveries in Beijing.

The selected sites include: a cluster of Paleolithic sites in the Changbai Mountains in Jilin Province in Northeast China; the Peiligang site in Xinzheng, Henan Province; the Zhengjiagou site in Xuanhua, Hebei Province; the Nanzuo site in Qingyang, Gansu Province; the Zhongcun site in Xiyang, Shanxi Province; the Zhengzhou Shang city site in Zhengzhou, Henan Province; the Changchun site in Fuping, Shaanxi Province; the Langya Terrace site in Qingdao, Shandong Province; the Yue Kingdom capital and the Kuaiji Commandery capital site of the Han and Six Dynasties in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province; and the Suyukou kiln site at Helan Mountain in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

The annual list, jointly released by the Chinese Society of Cultural Relics and China Cultural Relics News, is prepared by top scholars from across the country and widely regarded as one of the highest honors in Chinese archaeology.

Wang Wei, a member of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, noted several new features among the shortlisted projects.

More Paleolithic sites have emerged, reflecting growing domestic attention to human origins, Wang said.

Research on the origins of Chinese civilization has continued to intensify, with significant discoveries such as the Nanzuo site, whose enormous scale has rewritten the understanding of the civilization process in the Yellow River region around 5,000 years ago.

Furthermore, urban archaeology remains a key focus. For example, multidisciplinary work at the Zhengzhou Shang city site has revealed a well-planned and fully functional capital layout.

In addition, increasing attention has been paid to the history of craftsmanship. The Suyukou kiln site, for instance, shows a blend of northern and southern ceramic technologies, providing rich material for studying the formation of a unified multi-ethnic state. 

Multidisciplinary research has become a prominent feature of contemporary Chinese archaeology, with natural sciences being increasingly applied in archaeological excavations.

(By Tang Yuxian)