Six major archaeological discoveries in 2015

The most complete crossbow was found at the No.1 pit of the Museum of Qin Shihuang Terracotta Warriors and Horses in Xi'an city. [Photo/Chinanews.com]

A new find in Terracotta Warrior Army site

Chinese archaeologists have been excavating the No. 1 pit of the Museum of Qin Shihuang Terracotta Warriors and Horses in Xi'an city, capital of Northwestern China's Shaanxi province since 2009. They announced an astonishing find in late March: a 2,200-year-old crossbow in pristine condition buried with the vast army of terracotta warriors.

According to experts, this is the most complete crossbow found to date at the site. It has a 145 centimeter (57 inch) arch and, incredibly, the bow string remains intact and measures 130 centimeters (51 inches) long. Researchers believe the string is made of animal tendon rather than fabric, which would have degraded and disappeared long ago.