The most famous archaeological sites in China are doubtlessly the Terracotta Warriors of Emperor Huangdi in Shaanxi, and the remains of the Peking Man at Zhoukoudian near Beijing. These two digs have placed China firmly on the map when it comes to archaeology, proving that human life and culture has existed here for many thousands of years. Modern archaeology began in China in the early 1920s when Johan Gunnar Anderson uncovered the ancient village of Yangshao in Henan Province. Over the decades that followed, foreign and Chinese archaeologists and historians continued his work. The pace of China’s progress and development has meant that many sites have been discovered completely by accident, which was the case for the Terracotta Warriors in 1974. Out of the most important and active archaeological sites in China today, here are six of the most interesting.

1) The Neolithic Settlement at Yangguanzhai
The Wei River Valley in Shaanxi Province has been an important archaeological site since 2004. The 17,000-square-meter dig area has yielded countless important structures from Neolithic times, including ceramic kilns, pits, houses and tombs. Artefacts like tools, pottery and ornaments have also been discovered. This area is thought to be the only moated settlement to have survived from the Miaodigou culture that flourished in this part of China over 5,000 years ago. Shaanxi is the cradle of Chinese civilisation, and Yangguanzhai continues to be an important source of historical information.

2) Site of the Terracotta Warriors
In terms of artefacts, the Terracotta Warriors site in Lintong is the gift that keeps on giving. Discovered by local farmers in 1974, the mausoleum of Emperor Qin Huang was found to contain over 8,000 figures. The warriors, horses and chariots were created in 221 BC to guard the tomb of the great emperor. As recently as May 2010, continued digging at the site has unearthed 114 more warriors. Interestingly, they show evidence of burn marks, implying that the mausoleum was set alight, possibly by rebels or enemies of Emperor Qin Huang. The most recent discoveries also prove that the terracotta army was once vibrantly decorated.

3) Ancient Luoyang
Luoyang was the capital of China during the Eastern and Western Zhou times, and formed one of the cradles of Chinese civilisation thanks to its position on the great central plain. There have been many archaeological discoveries in and around the city, the most recent of which was the discovery of five chariots and 12 horses dating back 3,000 years to the Western Zhou period. The dig is centred on a Zhou tomb, and offers important insights into Zhou funeral rites. The way the horses were buried proves that they were slaughtered before burial, and not buried alive as was long suspected.

4) Three Stars Mound (Sanxingdui)
Sichuan Province’s most important archaeological site is the area known as Sanxingdui, or “Three Stars Mound”. It was first discovered in 1984 when a rural farmer named Yan Daocheng found several jade discs in an irrigation ditch near Guanghan City. When the area was excavated, the remains of a city wall dating from the 5th – 2nd millennium BC were uncovered. The big issue surrounding Sanxingdui is whether it is evidence of early Shang settlement, or another, independent civilisation. The site was placed on a watch list by the World Monuments Fund in 1996, and investigations continue.

5) Chongqing Dinosaur Tracks
One of the most intriguing pieces of archaeological news to emerge from China in recent months is the discovery that dinosaur tracks in Chongqing influenced ancient folklore. In October 2011, the Geological Bulletin reported that a team of Chinese and American experts had been investigating the influence of dinosaur footprints on local place names and legends. Lianhua Baozhai, meaning “lotus mountain fortress” is surrounded by several prints, and archaeologists believe that the place was named thus because ancient people thought that the footprints were blooming lotuses. They hope that more dinosaur prints will be uncovered by decoding place names and investigating local folklore.

6) Ancient Soup…
Finally, another recent dig unearthed what is thought to be the only ancient portion of soup to have survived from antiquity. While countless bowls and dishes have been found over the years, the Xi’an soup pot is the only one to contain the remnants of its liquid contents. During the expansion of the Xi’an airport, a Warring States-era tomb was unearthed, yielding artefacts from 2,400 years ago. The bronze soup pot was among them, and was found to contain an oxidized bone soup. Experts from the Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology believe that the bowl belonged to a land-owner or low-ranking military man and are assessing the liquid to find out more about ancient cooking practises.
 

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