Parts of unearthed cultural relics.

Six archaeological findings including the Guoyuanzui relic site were named as China's new discoveries in 2020 by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, capital of China, March 26, 2021.

The Guoyuanzui relic site, dating back to the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC), was found in Huangpi District, Wuhan. It covers a total area of around 30,000 square meters, home to a large cooper factory of 3,000 square meters.

Archaeologists started unearthing the site in 2019 and have so far revealed a 1,100-square-meter platform, on which various steps in the bronze making process were carried out.

Many remnants of smelting and of cast tools, raw materials and bronze containers were also discovered, including over 200 pieces of crucible walls, 500 pottery molds, 200 stone and copper tools, and a large number of daily-use ceramic wares.

It is the largest set of such ruins along the Yangtze River so far, according to the Hubei Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology.

"The site sheds light on how the Shang Dynasty ruled the Yangtze River region around 1226 BC and provides precious insight for major Bronze Age academic studies, including on bronze casting activities and transportation routes of raw materials," said Fang Qin, head of the archaeology institute.

Since the award launched in 2002, Hubei has had eight relic sites selected into its annual list.