2017 a good year for archaeology

Chinese archaeology had often been seen as "rescuing cultural relics from infrastructure construction," Wang said. "But the infrastructure projects are now less hasty, and local governments are more supportive of archaeology than before. Public participation in archaeology is also more common."

For example, for the Ming Dynasty battlefield relics of Zhang Xianzhong, eight volunteers were selected to participate in the excavation. Public education was also emphasized.

"It's also crucial for archaeologists to inform the public of their discoveries in a timely manner," Wang said.