China’s top archaeological finds: from lost civilisation and terracotta army to world’s oldest noodles
- Artworks unearthed Sichuan point to the existence of a previously unknown civilisation – the latest in a series of discoveries that shed new light on the past
- Previous finds range from the tomb of the first emperor to early examples of food and drink
Chinese archaeologists recently unveiled a series of ancient artefacts that pointed to the existence of a highly sophisticated civilisation that has since vanished from the historical record.
While the new discoveries have amazed many, the country is already home to 55 Unesco World Heritage Sites. The discoveries made over the past few decades have ranged from the celebrated terracotta army to some of the world’s earliest examples of men’s face cream and noodles – and even a 1,200-year-old divorce agreement.
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Archaeologists find treasures from mystery civilisation that could rewrite Chinese history
Here are some of the most remarkable discoveries.
Terracotta army
When the emperor Qin Shi Huang died in 210BC, he was buried with an army of over 8,000 warriors and horses made from terracotta to protect him in his afterlife.
