The final shortlist of 2021 National Top Ten New Archaeological Discoveries was officially released by the State Administration of Cultural Relics, China Heritage News and the Chinese Archaeological Society on Feb. 26. Among the total of 20 items in the final stage, Zhejiang’s Yuyao Shi'ao site and Qujiang mound tomb group were nominated.

Ancient rice fields in three prehistoric periods were found in the Shi'ao site, lasting from the early Hemudu culture to the late Liangzhu culture. The remaining Yuyao Shi’ao site covers the largest area with the earliest and the most abundant evidence of ancient rice fields, is a major discovery of prehistoric archaeology.

Besides, the high-grade tomb group located in Yunxi Town of Quzhou City has been confirmed as the largest and highest-grade mound tomb group in the Jiangnan region (or the South of the Yangtze River Delta) so far, and a large number of bronze carriages and jade artefacts have been unearthed.

Editor: Huang Yan