Top archeological finds of 2013

The set of animal deity-shaped drinking vessels is one of the most precious finds from the Shigushan Tombs in Baoji, Shaanxi province. Photo Provided to China Daily

The Top 10 archaeological discoveries of 2013 have been unveiled. From ancient tombs to valuable engravings, they provide a snapshot of the valuable relics buried beneath the earth in China. Wang Kaihao reports.

The Top 10 list of archaeological discoveries in China in 2013 was announced by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage last week, a prize which has been dubbed by media as "the Academy Awards of Chinese archaeology". "Having a strong public impact is only a part of our criteria, which emphasizes a candidate's academic significance. So some of the more widely talked about discoveries, such as Tomb of Shangguan Wan'er - China's woman prime minister in the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) - are not included in the final list," says Wang Wei, director of the Institute of Archaeology under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and a member of the 21-member judging panel.

The panel also includes scholars from various institutions, including Peking University, the Palace Museum and the National Museum of China. "This list attracts public interest and enhances awareness of the importance of protecting cultural relics. It is a little unusual that the list doesn't include any Neolithic or earlier relics this year, though some candidates belonged to that period," says Tong Mingkang, deputy head of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage. "Those were also great discoveries, but some of the discoveries from later dynasties are too extraordinary. It's really difficult to select the final 10 items in such a close competition." China Cultural Relics News, which is affiliated to the administration, has organized the annual event since 1990. Here we present 2013's Top 10 archaeological discoveries (ordered by period of time), with comments from the project leader of each dig: