The 3,000-year-old Sanxingdui site in Guanghan, Sichuan province, is considered to be the most eye-catching archaeological program in China last year, as several rounds of live broadcasts at the site generated wide public enthusiasm.

Thousands of cultural relics were excavated from the site's six newly found pits. Believed to have been used for sacrificial ceremonies, these items unveiled how a highly developed regional civilization used bronze in ritual worship.

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi province, findings from the Jiangcun grand tomb helped archaeologists finally confirm that it is the mausoleum of Liu Heng, the emperor known for his diligence in paving the way for the prosperity of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24). The finding also ended a long debate over the whereabouts of the ruler's final resting place.