The remains of a golden mask are in a huge stockpile of 3,000-year-old artifacts found at an archaeological site in China’s Sichuan province.
The finds were made in Sanxingdui, an area of 4.6 square miles outside the provincial capital of Chengdu. Some experts say the items may shed more light on the ancient Shu state, a kingdom that ruled the western Sichuan basin until it was conquered in 316 BC.
A bronze object recently excavated from a sacrificial well at the Sanxingdui Archaeological Site. Credit: Li He / Xinhua / Sipa USA
More than 50,000 ancient artifacts have been found in Sanxingdui since the 1920s, when a local farmer accidentally discovered a number of relics at the site. A major breakthrough occurred in 1986, with the discovery of two ceremonial wells containing more than 1,000 items, including elaborate and well-preserved bronze masks.
A gold decoration was one of more than 500 other items recently excavated from the site. Credit: Handout / Xinhua / Sipa USA
After a long hiatus in the excavations, a third well was found in late 2019, leading to the discovery of another five last year. Experts believe the wells were used for sacrificial purposes, explaining why many of the items contained in them were ritually burned while being dropped and buried.
Independent Civilization
Sanxingdui is believed to have been at the heart of the Shu state, which historians know relatively little about due to the scant written records. Discoveries made at the site date back to the 12th and 11th centuries BC, and many of the items are now on display in an on-site museum.
The site revolutionized experts’ understanding of how civilization developed in ancient China. In particular, evidence of a unique Shu culture suggests that the kingdom developed independently from neighboring societies in the Yellow River Valley, which was traditionally considered the cradle of Chinese civilization.
An archaeologist imagined working in one of the wells earlier this month. Credit: Shen Bohan / Sinhua / SipaUSA
The deputy director of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, Song Xinchao, told the state-run Xinhua news agency that the latest finds “enrich and deepen our understanding of Sanxingdui culture.”
The discovery of silk fibers and the remains of textiles can also increase our understanding of the Shu. Excavation team chief and chief of the Sichuan Provincial Cultural Relics and Archeology Research Institute, Tang Fei, said at a news conference that the discovery indicates that the kingdom was “one of the major origins of silk in ancient China,” Xinhua said. .
A bronze head and mask discovered in Sanxingdui in 1986, when the first sacrificial wells were found at the site. Credit: Shen Bohan / Xinhua / Sipa USA
Top Image Caption: A golden mask excavated from a sacrificial well at Sanxingdui Ruins in China’s Sichuan Province.