Summary: The eye-catching annual “New Archaeological Discoveries in China” Archaeology Forum sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and organized by the Institute of Archaeology of CASS

The eye-catching annual “New Archaeological Discoveries in China” Archaeology Forum sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and organized by the Institute of Archaeology of CASS and Archaeology Press was held in Beijing on January 16th, 2018. Professor Chen Xingcan, head of the Institute of Archaeology CASS announced the six selected important archaeological discoveries in 2017, they are:

　　Late Paleolithic to Neolithic Tongtiandong cave site in Jimunai Conunty, Xinjiang

　　Neolithic Jiaojia site in Zhangqiu District, Jinan, Shandong Province

　　Neolithic Nanshan site in Mingxi County, Sanming City, Fujian Province

　　Sujialong site of Zhou dynasty in Jingshan County, Hubei Province

　　Gujun site of Eastern Zhou Period in Nanqiao Township, Xingtang County, Hebei Province

　　Baomacheng site of Jin dynasty in Antu County, Jilin Province

　　Besides, the khermen Tal walled site of the Hsiung-nu people in Back Arkhangai Province, Mongolia is selected as the representatives of overseas projects.

　　Tongtiandong cave site in Jimunai Conunty, Xinjiang

　　The site is the first Paleolithic cave site ever discovered in Xinjiang. There were varied types of stone-tools, including typical Levallois technique lithic core, discoid core, Levallois Points, scrapers and Mousterian Points. Overall, it displayed apparent Middle Paleolithic cultural characteristics around 45,000 BP in the west of the Old World.

　　Neolithic Jiaojia site in Zhangqiu District, Jinan, Shandong Province

　　The site is an central settlement of the Dawenkou culture north of the Tai Mountains. Features unearthed at the site include a surrounding wall and ditch, 215 burials, 116 rooms, 1 kiln, and 974 pits. The discoveries are important for the research on settlement pattern and development of social complexity in the northern area of the Dawenkou culture. The large amount of jade objects are especially significant for the understanding of the communication between Dawenkou and the Liangzhu culture to its south and the Taosi culture to its west.

　　Nanshan site in Mingxi County, Sanming City, Fujian Province

　　Five layer of cultural deposits dating from 5800 to 3500 BP were found at the site. Flotation of soil samples yielded grains of 38 species of plants, including rice, millet, broomcorn millet, barley and soybean, which are significant for the research on Neolithic subsistence economy and cultural communication in central Fujian province.

　　Sujialong site in Jingshan County, Hubei Province

　　This large settlement of the Zeng State of the Spring and Autumn period consists of a cemetery, residential area with house foundations and metallurgical workshops. The large burial with 9 bronze ding-tripods, and the sacrificial pit with 7 chariots indicate that the site might be the capital of the Zeng State.

　　Gujun site in Nanqiao Township, Xingtang County, Hebei Province

　　Totally 36 burials, 7 chariot pits, 50 wells, 420 ash pits, 2 kilns, 2 hearth from Eastern Zhou Period had been unearthed at the site, together with more than 1000 pieces of bronze, gold, jade, ceramic, shell and bone objects with characteristics of the northern nationalities. All these might be the noble cemetery of the Rong and Di peoples in north region from Late Spring & Autumn Period to Early Warring States Period, and also the residential area of Early Warring States Period in this region.

　　Baomacheng site in Antu County, Jilin Province

　　The site had been the temple of the Changbaishan mountain god of the Jin Dynasty. Discoveries in the 2017 season include a large rammed earth foundation and the southern gate. This site is the only royal ritual compound of the Jin Dynasty in northeast China and is important for the research on strategies of the dynasty for the control of northeast frontier area.

　　The Archaeological Forum started in 2002 provides a platform for sharing information on the latest archaeological discoveries and academic research in. It also promotes academic exchange and encourages the development of the archaeology in China.

　　Dr. Hong Shi, head of the Archaeology Press, presided the forum. More than 300 audiences including archaeologists, scholars and graduate students from different institutions, museums and universities and journalists from different media joined the event.