China is one of the world’s earliest civilizations, and archaeologists have never been disappointed with the finds that have been unearthed there. Archaeological evidence suggests that hominids lived in China between 2.24 million and 250,000 years ago and Chinese tradition claims that the first dynasty was the Xia, which came into being around 2100 Bce. Today we look at but a few incredible finds. Subscribe to Talltanic http://goo.gl/wgfvrr 10 - Salt of the earth… Salt is a staple in any home around the world, and even those living in the Tang Dynasty, 618 – 907, had to agree. An ancient salt-boiling site was excavated in Hebei. The site is located fairly close to the ancient Maritime Silk Road trade route. Archaeologists found round and oval burning sites with plant ash and red clay, which is thought to be the stoves they used to extract the mineral. 9 - Game On… Close to Qingzhou City is a huge tomb that has been looted by thieves for a long time, but despite the purging, one item was just never removed and that’s probably because none of the looters realized its value! It was a rare game called Bo or Liubo. Granted the pieces were all over the place, but once they were placed together, it was easy to identify it. The game would have included 21 pieces, rectangular in shape and numbered. There was a die that was made from an animal tooth with 14 sides. 12 of the sides carried ancient Chinese writing and then the other two were blank. No one is quite sure of the rules, as the game faded away around 1,500 years ago. The only information we have is that it was a 2-player game of strategy. Maybe similar to today’s chess. 8 - A brief history… I promised I’d include the incredible Terracotta Army for you in this list, and it’s a discovery that many consider the highlight of all the discoveries in China. The founder of the Qin Dynasty was emperor Qin Shi Huang Di. He’s the guy responsible for the Great Wall of China. When he was placed in his tomb, he wasn’t alone, and took an army of terracotta soldiers with him to protect him in the afterlife. There were literally thousands of them, and his burial complex was the largest in the world. It’s believed it took 700,000 people 30-years to complete it, and some suggest it wasn’t 100% complete when they needed to use it! 7 - Years gone by… In North China’s Hebei Province, 113 tombs were unearthed that are estimated to be more than 2,000 years old. It’s believed that this area is the site of an ancient city called Fudi. There were human remains found, and they had been buried using a method known as urn burials. The corpses were wrapped inside 2 or 3 large clay containers, either urns, pots or bowls and then a small hole would be made in the side, allowing the spirit to come and go as they please. 6 - Good old days… The treasure pictured here was unearthed from the tomb of Fuhao. It’s a cooking utensil that was used in the Shang Dynasty, 1766 to 1122 BC, and it looks quite a lot like our gas cookers from today. There are 2 parts – an upper section which is a rice steamer – and the bottom part to hold the water. There are holes in the middle to allow the steam to pass, and it was capable of cooking several meals at one time. Pretty efficient, wouldn’t you say? 5 - Hooked on Polo… It’s always been taken as a given that polo began in Persia around 2,600 years ago, but that could be changing. Archaeologists have found sports equipment indicating that the sport could have been played in China 2,800 years ago. They found 3 balls, sticks and sheepskin tightly wrapped with wool and leather. The area where the discovery was made also held bodies of a light-haired and more fair-skinned people, believed to have enjoyed the sport all those years ago. 4 - It’s really great… Like Really Great! The Great wall of China is now even greater! A new part of the wall was discovered, and is said to stretch into Mongolia. This particular section was lost for a thousand years, and was spotted on Google Earth. The new section is 62-miles long and is thought to have been built to hold back the Mongol’s. Investigations continue. 3 - Blast from the past… Another interesting find for archeologists was five ancient wooden chariots in perfect condition, along with 12 horse skeletons, dating back to 650 BC, which was during the Zhou Dynasty. They were all inside a tomb pit, which researchers believe was placed there as funeral rites for a minister or nobleman around 2,500 years ago. 2 - Not much has changed… The creepy looking find pictured here was a little gadget that parents used to use to get their kids to swallow their medicine… you see, not much has changed from then till now! 1...