Silk Road archaeological discoveries remarkable despite pandemic: report

A gold-plated ring found on the wreckage of Nanhai No. 1 is displayed at the Maritime Silk Road Museum on Hailing Island of Yangjiang, south China's Guangdong Province, May 12, 2020. The excavation of the Nanhai No. 1, a shipwreck dating back to the Song Dynasty (960 A.D.-1279 A.D.), was listed by China in its top 10 archaeological discoveries for 2019. (Xinhua/Deng Hua)

HANGZHOU, June 20 (Xinhua) -- A report, compiled by more than 30 global experts, has deemed the 2020 archaeological findings related to the Silk Road to be remarkable despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

The report, led by the international Silk Road and intercultural exchange research center of the China National Silk Museum, was released at the opening of 2021 Silk Road Week in Hangzhou on Friday.

The report has four categories: Silk Road-themed archaeological discoveries, exhibitions, academic publications and cultural activities. The first category lists a total of 42 archaeological discoveries related to the Silk Road made in 2020.

Most of the new achievements have been made in China, particularly in ancient cities in Xinjiang. The discovery of evidence of early silkworm breeding in China's central plains and new discoveries of tombs on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau were among the highlights of the year.

To strengthen the protection of Silk Road cultural heritage, the International Association for the Study of Silk Road Textiles and the Chinese Museums Association's Committee of Museums along the Silk Road decided in 2019 to hold an annual Silk Road Week around June 22 every year.