[Photo provided to China Daily]
5. The royal mausoleum site of Yinxu Ruins, Anyang, Henan province, from the late period of the Shang Dynasty (c. 16th century-11th century BC)
First found in the 1920s, Yinxu Ruins became well-known worldwide as the home of oracle bone inscriptions, the oldest-known Chinese written characters, which elevated the Shang Dynasty from a legend into actual history.
A greater number of findings have been made that offer further evidence and details of the Shang Dynasty. The recent findings on the Yinxu site have reshaped people's previous understanding of the royal mausoleum area of this Shang capital city and the grand picture of its dynastic history.
For example, more than 460 sacrificial pits were newly discovered, and trenches have been found to surround the graves and sacrificial pits, which are believed to be part of a moat system developed to safeguard the mausoleum. They also provide new references for the ongoing construction of Yinxu National Archaeological Ruins Park.
