In 2001, the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences organized a poll for China's 100 major archaeological discoveries in the 20th century (). The participants included eight national-level institutions for archaeology and cultural relics, provincial-level archaeological institutes from 28 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions, as well as from Hong Kong, the archaeological departments of 11 major national universities, and many other scholars in Beijing. After three months and three rounds of voting, the results were announced on 29 March 2001 and were published in the journal Kaogu (Archaeology). In 2002, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Press published the book China's 100 Major Archaeological Discoveries in the 20th Century (二十世纪中国百项考古大发现), with more than 500 pages and 1,512 pictures.

Among all the candidates, the late-Shang dynasty capital Yinxu received the highest number of votes. Other sites that received high votes include Zhoukoudian, Banpo, Erlitou, Sanxingdui, Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor and the Terracotta Army, Han dynasty Chang'an, Juyan Han ruins, the Yungang Grottoes, the Longmen Grottoes, the Dunhuang Grottoes, Luoyang of Sui–Tang dynasties, and the Dingling mausoleum.

Of the 100 discoveries selected, 51% were made by scientific initiative, whereas 31% were made accidentally and 10% were rescue archaeology. More than half of the academic discoveries were made in the Yellow River region, reflecting the traditional view, held by most archaeologists until the 1980s, that the Chinese civilization originated there. By contrast, other regions such as the Yangtze River valley accounted for two thirds of the accidental discoveries, typically found during construction.

List by chronology The 100 major archaeological discoveries selected include 7 discoveries from the Palaeolithic Age, 30 from the Neolithic Age, 23 from the Xia–Shang–Zhou era, 24 from the Qin and Han to the Northern and Southern dynasties, and 16 from the Sui–Tang and later dynasties. The list below is ordered chronologically, from the oldest to the most recent.

Palaeolithic Age

1. Zhoukoudian, the Peking Man, and the Upper Cave Man in Beijing 2. Yuanmou Man in Yunnan 3. Lantian Man in Shaanxi 4. Jinniushan and the Jinniushan Man in Yingkou, Liaoning 5. Maba Man, Qujiang, Guangdong 6. Nihewan site cluster in Yangyuan, Hebei 7. Dingcun in Xiangfen, Shanxi

Neolithic Age

8. Xianren Cave and Diaotonghuan in Wannian, Jiangxi 9. Yuchanyan in Dao County, Hunan 10. Peiligang in Xinzheng, Henan 11. Jiahu in Wuyang County, Henan 12. Dadiwan in Qin'an, Gansu 13. Chengtoushan in Li County, Hunan 14. Xinglongwa in Chifeng, Liaoning 15. Yangshao in Mianchi, Henan 16. Banpo in Xi'an, Shaanxi 17. Jiangzhai in Lintong, Shaanxi 18. Hemudu in Yuyao, Zhejiang 19. Dawenkou in Tai'an, Shandong 20. Daxi in Wushan County, Chongqing 21. Qujialing in Jingshan County, Hubei 22. Hougang in Anyang, Henan 23. Miaodigou in Shanzhou, Henan 24. Wangchenggang Longshan culture site in Dengfeng, Henan 25. Songze in Shanghai 26. Chengziya Longshan culture site in Zhangqiu, Shandong 27. Liangzhu culture sites in Yuhang, Zhejiang 28. Shijiahe culture sites in Tianmen, Hubei 29. Majiayao culture sites in Lintao, Gansu 30. Liuwan cemeteries (Neolithic to Bronze Age) in Ledu, Qinghai 31. Hongshan culture sites in Lingyuan and Jianping County, Liaoning 32. Karuo culture sites in Chamdo, Tibet 33. Shixia culture sites in Qujiang, Guangdong 34. Taosi Longshan culture site in Xiangfen, Shanxi 35. Tung Wan Tsai North in Ma Wan, Hong Kong 36. Yuanshan in Taipei, Taiwan

Xia, Shang, and Zhou

37. Qijiaping Qijia culture site in Guanghe County, Gansu 38. Erlitou site in Yanshi, Henan 39. Dongxiafeng Erlitou culture site in Xia County, Shanxi 40. Xiajiadian early Bronze Age site in Chifeng, Inner Mongolia 41. Dadianzi Lower Xiajiadian culture site in Aohan Banner, Inner Mongolia 42. Yanshi Shang City in Yanshi, Henan 43. Zhengzhou Shang City in Zhengzhou, Henan 44. Panlongcheng, Shang dynasty city in Huangpi, Hubei 45. Yinxu, late-Shang dynasty capital in Anyang, Henan 46. Wucheng culture site in Zhangshu, Jiangxi 47. Xingan late-Shang tomb in Xingan, Jiangxi 48. Sanxingdui in Guanghan, Sichuan 49. Zhouyuan Western Zhou site in Shaanxi 50. Fenghao, capital of Western Zhou in Shaanxi 51. Liulihe site, Yan state capital and cemetery in Beijing 52. Jin state cemetery in Quwo, Shanxi 53. Shangyang city, capital of Guo and cemetery in Sanmenxia, Henan 54. Jin state capital in Houma, Shanxi 55. Zheng–Han City in Xinzheng, Henan 56. Lower Capital of Yan in Yi County, Hebei 57. Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng, Sui County, Hubei 58. Jinancheng, capital of Chu in Jiangling County, Hubei 59. Tomb of King Cuo of Zhongshan in Pingshan County, Hebei 60. Tonglüshan mining site, Hubei

Qin, Han, Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties

61. Qin capital Xianyang and palaces, Shaanxi 62. Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor and the Terracotta Army, Lintong, Shaanxi 63. Shuihudi and Longgang Qin tombs, Yunmeng, Hubei 64. Chang'an of Han dynasty, Xi'an, Shaanxi 65. Western Han dynasty imperial tombs, Shaanxi 66. Mancheng Han tombs, Hebei 67. Mausoleums of Han dynasty Kings of Chu, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 68. Mawangdui Han tombs, Hunan 69. Mausoleum of the Nanyue King, Guangzhou, Guangdong 70. Yinqueshan Han tombs, Linyi, Shandong 71. Shaogou Han tombs, Luoyang, Henan 72. Shizhaishan cemetery for the kings and nobles of Dian, Jinning, Yunnan 73. Juyan Han ruins and slips, Inner Mongolia 74. Han–Wei Luoyang, Luoyang, Henan 75. Capital of the Loulan Kingdom, Xinjiang 76. Niya in Minfeng County, Xinjiang 77. Yecheng, Linzhang, Hebei 78. Zoumalou bamboo slips, Changsha, Hunan 79. Southern dynasties tombs in Nanjing, Jiangsu 80. Yungang Grottoes, Datong, Shanxi 81. Longmen Grottoes, Luoyang, Henan 82. Koguryo tombs in Ji'an, Jilin 83. Mogao Caves, Dunhuang, Gansu 84. Longxing Temple hoard of Buddhist statues, Qingzhou, Shandong

Sui, Tang, and later dynasties

85. Daxing–Chang'an City, capital of the Sui and Tang dynasties, Xi'an, Shaanxi 86. Sui–Tang Luoyang and Song dynasty government sites, Luoyang, Henan 87. Yu Hong tomb of the Sui dynasty, Taiyuan, Shanxi 88. Subsidiary tombs of Tang dynasty imperial mausoleums, Shaanxi 89. Famen Temple pagoda base, Fufeng, Shaanxi 90. Astana Cemetery and documents, Turpan, Xinjiang 91. Shangjing Longquanfu, Ning'an, Heilongjiang 92. Two imperial mausoleums of the Southern Tang dynasty, Nanjing, Jiangsu 93. Tomb of the Liao dynasty Princess of Chen, Naiman Banner, Inner Mongolia 94. Baisha Song tombs, Yu County, Henan 95. Western Xia mausoleums, Yinchuan, Ningxia 96. Longquan Kiln of the Southern Song dynasty, Zhejiang 97. Yaozhou Kiln, Tongchuan, Shaanxi 98. Capital of the Guge Kingdom, Tibet 99. Dadu, capital of the Yuan dynasty, Beijing 100. Dingling mausoleum, Beijing

See also National archaeological park of China

References