Unprecedented! Another major discovery in Sanxingdui

June 13

Sanxingdui is "updated" again

Announcement of shocking artifacts

Sichuan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology

In Guanghan City, Sichuan Province

Sanxingdui Ruins

Important archaeological discoveries and research results

(Image source: Screenshot of CCTV News Live)

As of now

Six "sacrificial pits" in Sanxingdui

A total of nearly 13,000 numbered cultural relics were unearthed

Turtle back grid

It was excavated by the

Li Haichao, Professor of Sichuan University

Affectionately known as the "Moonlight Box"

(Image source: Screenshot of CCTV News Live)

Bronze Altar

Its appearance is exquisite

There are not only people on it, but also mythical beasts

It reflects a sacrificial scene.

It is the "fairy world" imagined by the ancient Shu people.

(Image source: Screenshot of CCTV News Live)

In addition

Bronze statue with snake body

Bronze pig-nosed dragon-shaped vessel

Bronze statue of a man wearing a skirt, waistcoat and a slicked-back hair

…

Several rare and precious cultural relics with unique shapes have never been seen before

Each one is full of "wonderful ideas"

It is also a proof of the diversity and unity of Chinese civilization.

Multidisciplinary Sharp Eyes "New Discovery"

Microscopic observation revealed that textiles were found on the surfaces of more than 20 unearthed bronze artifacts and ivory.

In the ash layer of Pit 4, plants such as Bambusoideae, Phoebe, broad-leaved trees, Palmaceae, reeds, Gramineae, cabbage, soybean, Chenopodium album, and a small amount of carbonized rice were found, of which Bambusoideae accounted for more than 90%;

The infrared re-burning temperature measurement method revealed that the combustion temperature of the ash layer in Pit 4 was about 400 degrees;

Using modern detection technologies such as X-ray flaw detection and CT scanning, it was found that the small bronze statue unearthed from Pit 3 was cast using a core bone casting process; it was found that the drilling methods of jade tubes are divided into two categories: double drilling and single-sided drilling; the hole processing is divided into two categories: polished and unpolished;

Cattle and wild boars were probably used as sacrifices.

Resolving years of controversy

The age of the Sanxingdui sacrificial pit has been confirmed

The archaeological team conducted carbon 14 dating on nearly 200 samples, and the dating data was concentrated between 1131 and 1012 BC. Except for Pits 5 and 6, which were slightly later, the burial ages of Pits 3, 4, 7, and 8 were consistent, which were from the late Shang Dynasty, about 3200 to 3000 years ago, resolving the controversy over the burial age of the "sacrificial pits" over the past three decades.

Proof that the ancient Shu civilization is an important part of Chinese civilization

Several new artifacts unearthed in this excavation show the close cultural ties between the Sanxingdui site and other regions in the country. The bronze vases, bronze jars, and bronze pots found in Pit 3 and Pit 8 are typical bronze artifacts of the Yin and Shang culture in the Central Plains. The jade cong found in Pit 3 and Pit 4 are from the Qijia culture in Gansu and Qinghai. The collared jade bi, jade zhang, and jade dagger found in Pit 3, Pit 7, and Pit 8 have been found in Henan, Shaanxi, Shandong and the vast southern China region. The large number of gold artifacts found in each pit is consistent with the ancient tradition of using gold artifacts in the crescent zone.

The sacred tree, the kneeling human figures on top of the statue, and a large number of dragon-shaped artifacts indicate that the users of the Sanxingdui site had similar self-identity, rituals, religion, and understanding of nature to people in other regions of the country, which undoubtedly shows that the ancient Shu civilization to which the Sanxingdui site belonged was an important member of Chinese civilization.

The protection and restoration of unearthed cultural relics is also underway. The construction of the new Sanxingdui Museum, covering an area of ​​66 acres, is expected to be completed in 2023. After completion, the public will be able to meet the cultural relics in the museum's "open" restoration hall.

What other surprises will this mysterious "pile" bring us? Let's wait and see!

Comprehensive sources: Xinhua News Agency, CCTV News, etc.