The Piluo archaeological site in southwest Sichuan province was featured among China’s top 10 archaeological discoveries of 2021 on Thursday. Photo: VCG

Located in Daocheng county, the Piluo site covers an area of around 1 million square meters and is considered the best preserved Paleolithic period archaeological site in China. Over 6,000 earth and stone artifacts were recovered in there in September 2021. Photo: VCG

Jade relics found in Huangshan archaeological site in Nanyang, Central China’s Henan province. As of September 2021, archaeologists have excavated over 23,000 relics from the Neolithic period. Photo: Courtesy of National Cultural Heritage Administration

In October last year, archaeologists discovered what is considered to be the best preserved prehistoric wooden structure in China at the Jijiao city site in Central China’s Hunan province. The revealed wooden structure dates back to about 4,700 years ago. Photo: VCG

Jade artifacts (right) unearthed from tombs at the Gangshang site in Tengzhou, East China’s Shandong province. The artifacts are of Dawenkou cultural origins, a Chinese Neolithic culture that existed from 4100 to 2600 B.C. Photo: Courtesy of National Cultural Heritage Administration

Museum staff unpack an artifact described as a “human head artifact donning a gold mask” for display. Since March 2021, excavators have found artifacts dating back about 3,000 years to the Shang Dynasty (1600 to 1046 B.C.) at the Sanxingdui Ruins in southwest China’s Sichuan province. Photo: VCG

A tiger-head shaped wooden pillow unearthed at the Zhengjiahu Cemetery, Central China’s Hubei province, in September 2021. Relics found at the site provide materials for researchers to study the history of Qin and Han dynasties (221 B.C. – 220 A.D.). Photo: VCG

Fragmented clay figures recovered at the Jiang Village tomb in Xi’an, Northwest China’s Shaanxi province. Archaeologists confirmed the site is the tomb of Emperor Xiaowen of the Han Dynasty (202 B.C. – 220 A.D.) in December 2021. Photo: Zhang Yuan/China News Service, VCG

A piece of clothing unearthed at the Tuyuhun Tomb in northwest China’s Gansu Province. Archaeologists have identified the tomb as belonging to a royal member of the Tuyuhun Kingdom (417 to 688 A.D.). Photo: Courtesy of Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

A structure found at the Keyak Kuduke Fengsui site in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region was identified as a military facility built during the Tang Dynasty (618 to 907). Photo: Courtesy of Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

An excavation site in East China’s Anhui province. The area is the hometown of Zhu Yuanzhang, who is the first Emperor of Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Archaeologists configured the architectural layout of the site from 2015 to 2021. Photo: VCG