A bumper year for digging up the past

The six most important archaeology discoveries of 2013 were unveiled by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in December, with the earliest dating back more than 4,000 years.

These discoveries were selected for their academic value and social impact, says Shi Jinsong, deputy director of the Archaeology Press, co-host of the event along with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Institute of Archaeology of CASS.

"We want to credit efforts that show the way forward for archaeology in China. Each discovery has to be pioneering in its own way," Shi says.