Hubei archaeology began in the 1950s. It grew out of nothing after the founding of New China, and since then splendid achievements have been obtained through three major stages of development. The continuous emergence of new archaeological discoveries and the increasing deepening of research work have played an active role in the study of ancient civilization not only for this region, but even for the whole country, and have made Hubei into a major antiquarian province of China. In the past 50 years, remarkable results have been acquired in the study of the origin and evolution of Paleolithic man, the establishment of Neolithic cultural sequences, the inquiry into the settlement pattern and the origin of civilization, the revelation of the chronological sequence of Chu tombs, and the research on the problems related to the Chu culture. Inspiring gains have also been achieved in the excavation of Shang and Zhou city ruins and mining and smelting sites, as well as in the study of bronzes, Qin and Han inscribed slips and tablets, and Six Dynasties celadon, mirrors, etc.