对于宋元明时期遗迹、遗物的记录和研究,在现代考古学在中国产生以前就已开始了。从宋代开始,学者们就不断地对当时的风物、形胜、遗迹和古器物进行一些考查和记录。其中,不仅有对先秦及秦汉等远古文物和遗存的考查、记录,也有对当时的以及一些刚刚废弃的城市、宫殿和艺术品的记录,成为今天考古工作弥足珍贵的参考资料。对城市记录的,如南宋孟元老《东京梦华录》对北宋东京城的记录;元陶宗仪《南村辍耕录》对宋陵、宋宫殿和元大都宫阙的记录;明初萧询《元故宫遗录》对元大都宫 For the Song and Yuan Dynasties relics, relics records and research, before the emergence of modern archeology in China has already begun. Beginning from the Song Dynasty, scholars continued to examine and document some of the artifacts, shapes, relics and artifacts at that time. Among them, not only the ancient Qin and Han Dynasties and other ancient relics and relics of the test, record, but also at the time and some just abandoned cities, palaces and works of art records, become today’s archaeological work precious reference. Records of the city, such as the old Song of Meng Yuan in the Southern Song Dynasty Tokyo Tokyo Records of the Northern Song Dynasty; Yuan Tao Zongyi “Nakamura cease cultivation records” on the Songling, Song Palace and Yuan dynasty palace records; Myth "on the yuan Dadu Palace