Discovery of 100 Important Archaeological Finds in China in 2004

Author: Compiled by the China Cultural Relics News Agency
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-05-29
Features: "Discovering China: 100 Important Archaeological Discoveries in 2004" is a selection of archaeological findings reported by the China Cultural Relics News Agency during 2004. In recent years, archaeological excavation projects across the country have numbered around a thousand each year, but very few excavation reports are formally published, and many of them struggle to be released after years of closure, failing to fulfill their intended role, even turning scientific excavations into scientific destruction. The China Cultural Relics News Agency has always strived to promote improvements in this situation. Therefore, the editorial department has established a policy to publish all available archaeological discovery information and to require the field leaders of excavations to personally contribute the articles. After the annual selection of the Top Ten Archaeological Discoveries in China, jointly organized by the China Cultural Relics News Agency and the Society of Chinese Archaeology, which is grandly promoted to the public, the relevant materials are quickly compiled and published. Unfortunately, the dissemination and scope of these activities remain very 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 to provide professionals with a convenient and comprehensive resource for research and to allow more cultural relic and archaeology enthusiasts to understand the new materials unearthed, their value, and significance. During the selection process, the original articles have been largely unchanged, and they are arranged chronologically according to the era of the discoveries. Although each article is brief, they are written by excavation team leaders or experts, ensuring authoritative content that reflects the main essence and significance of the findings. The articles often contain specialized terms and symbols, so to facilitate understanding, we have appended several commonly used ones below for reference by amateur readers.