![]() ![]() ![]() These marks are believed to be the remains of walls and pillars from a cluster of buildings. The area, named Qingguanshan terrace, is the highest point of the Sanxingdui site. In 2013, a few kilometers from the sacrificial pits, researchers discovered rows of unusual marks in the shape of a giant Roman numeral three. Archaeologists have found evidence that the area was once home not just to a site for making religious offerings - as the pits appear to have been used - but also to a human settlement spanning at least 12 square kilometers. Archaeologists also remain uncertain how Sanxingdui acquired so many tusks, as elephants aren’t native to that part of China - or, at least, they aren’t anymore.īecause of its unique style and enormous size, many experts argue the statue is a representation of the supreme leader of the Sanxingdui civilization, who combined the roles of god, king, and shaman.Įver since this breakthrough excavation in 1986, field surveys of the area surrounding Sanxingdui have continued ceaselessly. Some guess the statue was gripping a cong - an oblong piece of jade used in religious rites - while others suggest an ivory tusk. ![]() It looks like the figure was once holding something aloft, but researchers still have no idea what. The figure’s disproportionately large hands are raised in front of its chest, its fingers forming two circles. Most mysterious of all is the statue’s pose. It is dressed in three layers of clothes, their delicate patterns still visible on the cold, hard bronze. It depicts a solemn-looking figure with glaring eyes and a hooked nose - features that are distinct from other Chinese artifacts from the period. The statue, which today looms over the central hall of the Sanxingdui Museum, continues to baffle researchers. The tree, which is over 4 meters tall and weighs more than 800 kilograms, is the largest bronze artifact from the period ever unearthed worldwide.īut the prize find was a huge bronze statue known as the Large Standing Figure - a giant, intricately detailed rendering of a man standing 2.6 meters tall and weighing nearly 200 kilograms. The haul included some truly jaw-dropping objects, including a towering bronze sculpture of a tree with dagger-like leaves and birds nesting among its carved branches. By the time they finished, it had begun to dawn on them that they’d made one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the 20th century. Over the following weeks, the researchers pulled 1,500 objects out of Pit 2. The objects - which included a mix of vessels, sculptures, and figurines - appeared to have been deliberately smashed and burned before being buried, a practice the archaeologists had never seen before. Under the topsoil lay dozens of elephant tusks, covering a densely packed layer of bronzes. Though researchers are trying to remain calm, the answers to many decades-old questions may finally be within reach. The hope is that cutting-edge material analysis will provide unprecedented insights into these artifacts - and the people who buried them. More than 30 research institutes from across China have cleared their laboratories to receive the samples. More importantly, researchers will be able to analyze the dig sites using a range of scientific techniques that weren’t available when Pits 1 and 2 were discovered.Įvery object inside the new pits - as well as the surrounding soil - is being painstakingly collected, dated, and sealed in air-tight containers, before being sent for analysis. The latest excavations have already produced several striking finds, which have generated enormous public interest. “You never see so many ivories and bronze artifacts packed so densely together.”įor the team, the new pits represent a golden opportunity. “When we cleared off the topsoil, the sight in front of me was really shocking,” says Xu Feihong. Like the originals, they appear to be sacrificial sites filled with ritual artifacts. In 2019, researchers made another stunning discovery: six additional pits located close to the two uncovered in the ’80s. But in the absence of clear archaeological evidence, these debates appeared destined to remain unresolved. Theories about how the civilization emerged have proliferated, with some speculating the settlement was founded by travelers from Egypt – or even extra-terrestrials. No written materials have ever been found at Sanxingdui.įor decades, the riddle of Sanxingdui has fascinated China. And the artifacts themselves offer few clues. Ancient Chinese historians barely mentioned the Southwest, dismissing the region - then known as Shu - as an obscure backwater. Yet the kingdom’s origins remain unknown. It appears that Sanxingdui was once the capital of a powerful and technologically advanced civilization, which flourished in the region around the time of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun. Other teams have since unearthed traces of more artifacts, large buildings, and even a city wall. ![]()
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