Treasure trove: 4500-year-old artifacts belonging to Shu Kingdom discovered in China’s Sanxingdui ruins

Chinese archaeologists have discovered a record collection of about 13,000 artifacts dating back to 4500 years.

The discovery included exquisite bronze, gold, and jade wares. At least 10 bronze-wares, were unearthed for the first time in the history of human civilization at the Sanxingdui ruins site in China’s Sichuan Province.

Sanxingdui ruins have been dubbed as one of the world’s greatest archaeological findings of the 20th century and were originally discovered in the late 1920s,

The ruins covering an area of 12 square km, located in the city of Guanghan, are believed to be the remnants of the Shu Kingdom, which dates back to around 4500 years. Around existing pits, ash ditches, and architectural foundations were also spotted which indicate that rituals like small sacrifices and cultural relics have been carried out in the areas.

The new findings are mainly excavated from sacrificial pits No.7 and No.8. Among the lot that was found in pit No.7, A bronze box with green jade ware was found. The top and bottom of the vessel are covered with tortoise-shaped reticulated lids, and the sides of the box are adorned with a bronze hinge, handles shaped as dragon heads, and a few bronze streamers. Analysis showed that the box was wrapped in and covered with silk.

Li Haichao, a professor at Sichuan University said,” It would not be an exaggeration to say that the vessel is one of its kind, given its distinctive shape, fine craftsmanship, and ingenious design. Although we do not know what this vessel was used for, we can assume that ancient people treasured it.”

Adjacent to this, in the pit No.8, were unearthed several artifacts including gold masks on bronze heads, a bronze sculpture with a human head and body of a snake, a bronze altar, a giant mythical creature made of bronze, and a dragon-shaped bronze item with a pig nose.

”The sculptures are very complex and imaginative, reflecting the fairy world imagined by people at that time, and they demonstrate the diversity and richness of Chinese civilization,” Zhao Hao, Associate professor at Peking University said in a statement.