Ancient messages: Left, the relics of inscribed animal bones found at the site of Zhougong Temple in Shaanxi Province; Right, The excavation site of these relics. [Feng Guo]

China's Top 10 Archaeological Discoveries in 2008

The Yangguanzhai ruin in northwest China's Shaanxi Province

The only entire round-moat site for a settlement of the Miaodigou Cultural Period (4,000-3,500 B.C.)

The Bronze-Age graveyard in northwest China's Gansu Province

A site of graves of the Qijia Culture (2,000-1,900 B.C.), a civilization from the upper reaches of the Yellow River

Salt-making site in east China's Shandong Province

Dating back to the Shang (16th century to 10th century B.C.) and Western Zhou (1046-771 B.C.) dynasties, the site is the largest group of sites of salt-making found in the coastal area of China

Zhougong Temple in northwest China's Shaanxi Province

A large-scale burial site of Zhou Gong (around 1,100 years B.C.), an outstanding politician, strategist and thinker in Western Zhou Dynasty. The site owns the most

relics of scripts on tortoise shells and animal bones found in China

The Bronze-Age site in southwest China's Yunnan Province

The largest site of the baluster-style architecture in the Bronze Age, providing

precious examples for the research of the prehistorical settlement types

The ruins of an ancient city of the Western Zhou Dynasty and the Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.) in central China's Henan Province

The discovery of the site and related relics is of great significance to the research of the settlement and culture of the Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 B.C.)

The capital of Wu State in the Spring and Autumn Period in east China's Jiangsu Province

The only site for the capital of the Wu State confirmed today. The 2 km-long stone city wall is proved to be the earliest and largest Great Wall found in south China

A tomb of the Spring and Autumn Period in central China's Henan Province

It was the tomb of a seigneur in the Spring and Autumn Period. The structure and design inside were rare among similar discoveries of the same period.

A graveyard of the Spring and Autumn Period in Henan Province

It was confirmed to be the mausoleum of a king of the Han State of the late Warring States Period. The arrangement of the tombs is important to the research on the

patriarchal clan and burial systems of the state.

Ruins of an ancient city of the Tang and Song dynasties in southwest China's Sichuan Province

The brick-paved street and barrel-drains conserved well were discovered in the site. Other relics, including porcelains and Buddha statues made in that period, were found there. Such a large scale site of the Tang and Song dynasties is very rare in China

(Beijing Review, April 21, 2009)