Discovery of 100 Important Archaeological Finds in China in 2004

Author: Cao Bingwu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-29
Features: Discover China: 100 Important Archaeological Discoveries in 2004 is a selection of archaeological findings reported by China Cultural Relics News during 2004. In recent years, archaeological excavation projects across the country have been carried out in the thousands each year, but very few excavation reports are formally published, and many findings remain unpublished long after the excavations end, failing to fulfill their intended role, even turning scientific excavations into scientific destruction. China Cultural Relics News has always strived to improve this situation. Therefore, the editorial department has established a policy of publishing all available archaeological discovery information and ensuring that the team leaders of excavations personally contribute to the writing. Every year, China Cultural Relics News and the Chinese Archaeological Society jointly organize the National Top Ten Archaeological Discoveries selection event, which proudly introduces major archaeological findings to the public. After the event, the relevant materials are quickly compiled and published. Regrettably, the reach and scope of these activities remain quite limited. Now, we have selected 100 most important findings from annual archaeological reports, compiled them into a collection, and included them in the book series. This serves both as a convenient resource for professionals to quickly and comprehensively access research materials and as a way to help more cultural relic and archaeology enthusiasts understand the new findings, their value, and significance. During the selection process, the original works have been largely unchanged, and the articles are arranged chronologically based on the era of the discoveries. Although each finding is concise, the content is authoritative and reflects the main essence and significance of the discoveries, as the articles are often written by excavation team leaders or experts. The articles sometimes contain specialized terms and symbols, so to facilitate understanding, we have appended a few commonly used ones below for reference by amateur readers.