On December 25, 2025, China Media Group (CMG) released its annual Top 10 international archaeological discoveries. This year brought groundbreaking finds from Africa to the Americas, reshaping our understanding of early human societies.
1. 1.5-Million-Year-Old Bone Tools in Tanzania
In northern Tanzania, archaeologists uncovered 27 bone fragments—mostly from hippopotamuses and elephants—sharpened and shaped by human ancestors 1.5 million years ago. This pushes back the known use of bone tools by about a million years.
2. Tracing 11,000 Years of Sheep-Human Bonds through Ancient DNA
An interdisciplinary team led by geneticists at Trinity and zoo archaeologists from Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich decoded 118 ancient sheep genomes from Mongolia to Ireland. Their work reveals how domestication, migration and selection shaped human societies over 12 millennia.
3. Prehistoric Matrilineal Society in Shandong Province
Scientists in the Chinese mainland confirmed the existence of a matrilineal community in Shandong Province, dating earlier than similar societies in Iron Age Europe. Published in Nature, these ancient DNA results rewrite the timeline of social structures.
4. Bronze Age Settlement in Kazakhstan’s Steppes
Covering 140 hectares, a newly discovered Bronze Age site in Kazakhstan may have been an administrative and commercial hub around 1600 BC. Excavations revealed houses, workshops and a monumental central structure, challenging views on prehistoric urban life in Eurasia.
5. 3,500-Year-Old Urban Ruins in Peru
Drone footage in Peru unveiled a 3,500-year-old city perched 600 m above sea level, likely a trading link between Pacific coast, Andes and Amazon cultures. A circular central structure and mud-stone buildings highlight its role as an early hub contemporary with civilizations in the Middle East and Asia.
6. Pharaoh Thutmose II’s Tomb in Egypt
West of Luxor in the Valley of the Kings area, Egyptian and British archaeologists discovered what may be the tomb of King Thutmose II. Dating back 3,500 years, the burial chamber’s inscriptions mark the first major royal tomb find since 1922.
7. Oldest and Largest Maya Monument at Aguada Fénix, Mexico
A hidden platform in southeastern Mexico, built over 3,000 years ago, emerges as the oldest and largest monumental structure in the Maya region—predating cities like Tikal by nearly a millennium and reflecting early cosmological design.
8. Rare Giant Frescoes in Pompeii, Italy
In Region IX of Pompeii, life-sized frescoes from the 1st century BC were uncovered in the House of Thiasus banquet hall. Experts liken this discovery to the famed Villa of the Mysteries, offering fresh insight into religious life before Mount Vesuvius’s eruption.
These discoveries are eight of CMG’s Top 10 archaeological achievements in 2025, showcasing the diversity of our ancient past. Which find captured your imagination? Share your thoughts as we look forward to the final entries.
Reference(s):
CMG releases top 10 intl news of archaeological discoveries in 2025
cgtn.com
