An unborn child's remains from a tomb in the Gangshang city ruins site in Tengzhou, Shandong province, dating back about 5,000 years [Photo provided to China Daily]

China's Top 10 New Archaeological Discoveries of 2021 was released in Beijing on March 31. The Gangshang city ruins site in Tengzhou, East China's Shandong province was listed as one of the nation's top 10 finds.

Sanxingdui site in Sichuan province, Zhongdu site in Anhui province, and Zhengjiahu graveyard site in Yunmeng county, Hubei province were among the 10 discoveries chosen by an open poll by 21 of the country's top scholars from among the 20 final-round nominees.

The Gangshang city ruins site, which is located on the banks of the Kuohe River in Tengzhou's Chengang village, covers an area of around 800,000 square meters, of which the site of late Dawenkou culture is approximately 400,000 sq m.

Several uncovered relics, such as a circle of rammed earth walls and trenches, 31 tombs, seven house sites, and other traces of human activity dating back at least 5,000 years, can help visitors comprehend how people in the Dawenkou culture survived the harsh environment.

Aside from the archaeological discoveries that sparked widespread public debate, the list also represents intellectual accomplishments in related academic fields.