China News Service Client, Beijing, May 5 (Reporter Song Yusheng) "2019 Top Ten National Archaeological New Discovery" was announced on May 5. On the same day, experts commented on the projects selected this year online. Many of the archaeological achievements have filled gaps in related fields.

Screenshot of live broadcast of online conference.

The first online final evaluation meeting in 30 years

  This year is the 30th year of the "Top Ten New Archaeological Discovery" activities. Due to the new crown pneumonia epidemic, the "Top Ten Archaeological New Discoveries" final evaluation meeting was held online for the first time this year, in the form of "online meeting + new media client".

  Prior to this, the "2019 National Top Ten Archaeological New Discoveries" final evaluation meeting has been broadcast live for 4 consecutive days.

  According to incomplete statistics, the total number of interactive topics on the Internet related to the "Top Ten Archaeology" reached 166 million. The total number of live views in the first four days reached 22.78 million.

  On May 1, Song Xinchao, deputy director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, said in a speech at the opening ceremony of the final appraisal: "This (in the form of an online meeting) seems to have a little bit of regret for archaeologists, but from another perspective The changes and innovations in the form of this selection activity may reflect the unremitting efforts of the archaeologists to keep pace with the times, actively use Internet technology to expand the social impact of archaeological work, and have achieved the greatest extent in the past 30 years. The original intention and pursuit of "New Discovery" activities are open to the whole society. "

On May 1, Song Xinchao, deputy director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, addressed the opening ceremony of the final appraisal meeting. Screenshot of live broadcast of online conference

  On the 5th, Song Xinchao Online announced ten projects selected as "2019 Top Ten National Archaeological New Discovery".

  They are: the Paleolithic Cave Ruins of the Liaodong Cave in Nanzheng, Shaanxi, the Xiaonanshan Ruins of the Raohe River in Heilongjiang, the Huangchengtai of Shimiao Ruins in Shaanxi, the Pingliangtai Site of Huaiyang in Henan, the Xiwubi Ruins in Jiangxian County, Shanxi, and the Dunhuang Ganxia in Gansu, Shanxi The jade mine site, the cemetery of the nobles in Zengzhou, Hubei, Suizhou, the spring and autumn Zengguo, the ruins of the Shichengzi, Xinjiang, the mural tomb of the Tibetan period in Wulanquangou, Qinghai, and the underwater archaeological excavation project of the Southern Song Dynasty Shipwreck in Nanhai, Guangdong.

What are the highlights of the "new discovery"?

  The reporter noted that each of these projects can be called "heavy".

  Based on the project materials currently announced, the Paleolithic cave ruins of the scabies cave in Nanzheng, Shaanxi, filled the gap of the human cave types in the late Paleolithic period of the Hanzhong Basin.

The jade artifacts unearthed from the tomb of the Xiaonanshan site in Raohe, Heilongjiang in 2019. The site discovered the world's earliest jade sandstone cutting technology, more than 6,000 years earlier than similar technologies in Central America. Image courtesy of Xiaonanshan Ruin Project Team of Raohe, Heilongjiang

  The earliest evidence for the systematic use of jade in East Asia was found at the Xiaonanshan site in Raohe, Heilongjiang. Shaanxi Shenmu Shimao site Huangchengtai is regarded as "the best preserved and largest early palace building in East Asia at present".

  The archaeological work of the Pingliangtai city site in Huaiyang, Henan Province, excavated and restored the "central axis" layout and complete drainage system; discovered the earliest "two-wheel" rut in China; and unearthed a series of high-level relics reflecting the impact of multiculturalism .

A charcoal kiln during the Erlitou period of the Xiwubi site. Photo courtesy of Shanxi Institute of Archaeology

  The excavation of the Xiwubi site in Jiangxian County, Shanxi Province, revealed for the first time in the Central Plains the Xia Shangye copper site with the earliest known time, the largest scale and the highest level of specialization. The Ganxia Dunhuang Hanxia jade mine site shows that the tremolite jade material in Gansu entered the east of Gansu and the surrounding area very early, and played a unique role in the formation of a diverse and integrated Chinese civilization.

  The aristocratic cemetery of Zengguo's spring and autumn Zengguo in Suizhou, Hubei made up for the lack of Zengguo in the middle of the spring and autumn, and constructed the most complete material and the most important cultural sequence for archaeological excavation in the Zhou Dynasty.

Zeng Gongqiu chime combination unearthed in the noble cemetery of Zeng Guo in the spring and autumn of Zao Shulin, Suizhou, Hubei. Its inscription is nearly 1,150 characters, and the single inscription of the bell is up to 312 characters. Image courtesy of Zengguo noble cemetery project team in Suizhou, Hubei Province

  The Qicheng Shichengzi site in Xinjiang is the only ancient site in the Han Dynasty that has been found so far in Xinjiang with accurate and reliable dates, basically complete shapes, well-preserved conditions, and distinctive cultural characteristics. The Mural Tomb of the Tubo Period in Wulanquangou, Qinghai is the first tomb of the Tubo Period discovered in the Tibetan Plateau.

In the mural tombs of the Tubo period murals in Wulanquangou, Qinghai, there are sealed and hidden cells. No similar precedent has been found in the history of archaeology in China and the world. Photo courtesy of the Mural Tomb Project of Tulan Period in Wulanquangou, Qinghai

Archaeology, not digging for treasure

  "Archaeology values ​​tombs, so some people in the community think we love 'digging treasure'. Actually not." At the final review meeting, Liu Qingzhu, a researcher at the Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, pointed out that archaeological work is completely different from "digging treasure".

  In the underwater archaeological excavation project of the Southern Song Dynasty Shipwreck of Nanhai I, which was selected as the "Top Ten Archaeological New Discoveries" of this time, the "South China Sea I" shipwreck was discovered in 1987, and was salvaged in 2007 as a whole. Nearly 30 years. This is a microcosm of the protection and development of China's underwater cultural heritage.

The jade artifacts unearthed from the tomb of the Xiaonanshan site in Raohe, Heilongjiang in 2019. The site discovered the world's earliest jade sandstone cutting technology, more than 6,000 years earlier than similar technologies in Central America. Image courtesy of Xiaonanshan Ruin Project Team of Raohe, Heilongjiang

  During the salvage process, the staff completed the static sinking of the steel caisson and pierced the beams under water to lift the 5,500-ton steel caisson “Nanhai I” ancient shipwreck and its cargo as a whole, and finally used the airbag to move smoothly Moved into the Guangdong Maritime Silk Road Museum specially built for it.

  The reporter noted that the relevant project introduction has determined that the shipwreck belongs to the “Fuk Ship” type of the three major ship types in ancient China, and is a rare living specimen in the shipbuilding history of the Song Dynasty.

  Liu Qingzhu pointed out, "There are many issues that we have to explain accordingly, including where the ship sails from, where to go, what accidents happened, and why accidents happened. The transportation of these things should also be studied, but the focus is not on The value of them lies in why they are transported, and it also includes the issue of the crew. "

  He said: "We can actually dive down to catch the things on the boat, but archaeology is not to" dig for treasure ", we want to present the history at that time. This is also the emphasis on human culture."