Tools made of bones unearthed from the Gantangqing Paleolithic sites in Yunnan province.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Gao Dalun, who heads the research institute that made the finds there, says he is not surprised that the site lost out, because in recent years there has been a big jump in major archaeological discoveries in the country, making the competition to get on the list even fiercer.

He adds that, when it comes to Sanxingdui, people have much higher expectations for it.

Giving reasons for this, he says: "The site covers about 25 square kilometers and we've only excavated fewer than 10,000 square meters.

"I believe Sanxingdui has great potential to make it to the list."

Meanwhile, the list has begun to garner growing public attention in recent years.

This is partly because of increasing media coverage of excavation sites.

The underwater archaeological excavation of the warship Zhiyuan was broadcast live on television.

Also, carefully curated exhibitions of unearthed objects boost public interest in the finds.

The Capital Museum is currently holding two exhibitions dedicated to the finds from the tombs of "Haihunhou" Liu He and Fu Hao at the Yin Xu relic site in Henan.

Speaking of what could appear on next year's list, Li Shuicheng, a professor of archaeology from Peking University, says it's difficult to predict what will happen next year because, besides ongoing excavations, accidental finds can always change the scene.

"But above all, the list aims to raise public awareness of cultural legacies and conservation work," he says.

Contact the writer at linqi@chinadaily.com.cn