Beijing, China - Feb 19, 2025 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Various of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences annual archaeology forum, screen introducing archaeological findings

FILE: Helong City, Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, Jilin Province, northeast China - 2024 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
2. Various of archaeologists at field, unearthing relics
3. Animations of ancient primary shed, gravel with traces of cuts

FILE: Xianju County, Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province, east China - 2024 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
4. Field
5. Xiatang Site, relics
6. Graphic showing layout of ancient village

FILE: Lintao County, Gansu Province, northwest China - 2024 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
7. Various of Siwa Site
8. Map showing ancient moats

FILE: Baoji City, Shaanxi Province, northwest China – 2024 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
9. Various of Zhouyuan Site, archaeologists, relics
10. Various of bones with oracle script characters
11. Oracle scripts copied down

FILE: Huainan City, Anhui Province, east China - 2024 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
12. Various of Wuwangdun Site; relics packed, being lifted up
13. Various of Ding, cauldrons; Ding being displayed in museum

FILE: Jingdezhen City, Jiangxi Province, east China - 2024 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
14. Various of maps showing location of Jingdezhen Site
15. Various of Jingdezhen Site
16. Various of unearthed relics

Beijing, China - Feb 19, 2025 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
17. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Shi Jinsong, deputy head, Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Science (starting with shot 16/ending with shot 18):
"These discoveries are not only about gathering ancient relics in the fields, but, more importantly, about their value for academic research. Every single result complements our understanding of Chinese history and culture."

FILE: Lintao County, Gansu Province, northwest China - 2024 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
18. Various of Siwa Site, archaeologists excavating relics

The top six archaeological findings across China in 2024 were announced at Wednesday's annual archaeology forum hosted by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

The discoveries, covering from the Paleolithic Age to the Yuan (1271-1368), Ming (1368-1644), and Qing Dynasties (1636-1912), shed light on studies on the history and culture of ancient China.

The earliest of the six, the Dadong Site, is located in Jilin Province in northeast China. Discovered in the strata dating from 28,000 to 24,000 years ago, the site involves an artificial stone circle, which should be the remains of a primary shed of ancient humans, implying the archaeological importance of the Changbai Mountain area in the field of evolutionary anthropology studies.

The Xiatang Site in east China's Zhejiang Province, a Neolithic Age settlement site, reveals the structure and layout of the ancient village, providing new evidence for the study of the social structure of early-stage agricultural societies.

At the Siwa Site, another Neolithic Age site in northwest China's Gansu Province, the first prehistory large-scale near square-shaped moat was discovered, which might hint at the origin of the square-walled cities in China.

The Zhouyuan Site in Shaanxi Province of northwest China shows evidence of China's earliest dynasties, providing written materials for studying the history of Western Zhou Dynasty (about 1046 – 771 BC). With over 200 bone and tortoise shell pieces for divination rites being found, phrases totaling over 180 oracle scripts were recognized, covering documentations of astronomy, calendar, history, and geology.

At a Warring States period site in east China's Anhui Province, the Wuwangdun Site, researchers excavated over 10,000 pieces of cultural relics, including multiple Ding sets, or special cauldron sets, the representative ritual vessels that have long been used to represent social class and nobility, and symbols of China's traditional rites and ethnicity.

In east China's Jiangxi Province, the archaeological site of Jingdezhen City, the world-famous town of porcelain with a thousand-year history, welcomed new discoveries. The latest discoveries at the Jingdezhen Site revealed the sources of materials and fuels that supported the large-scale porcelain production, as well as the local traffic net in the Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties, giving people a perception to understand Jingdezhen's development history.

"These discoveries are not only about gathering ancient relics in the fields, but, more importantly, about their value for academic research. Every single result complements our understanding of Chinese history and culture," said Shi Jinsong, the deputy head of the Institute of Archaeology at the Chinese Academy of Social Science.