A turtle-shaped box and sacrificial altar are among a treasure trove of 13,000 relics dating back more than 3,000 years discovered by archaeologists in southwest China.
The artifacts – many made of gold, bronze and jade – were unearthed in six sacrificial pits at the Sanxingdui archaeological site near Chengdu, Chinese state media reported on Monday.
Historians know relatively little about the Sanxingdui culture, which left no written records or human remains, although many believe it to be part of the ancient kingdom of Shu.
The latest discoveries are expected to pave the way for discovering more about the kingdom, which ruled in the western Sichuan basin along the upper stream of the Yangtze River until it was conquered in 316 BC.
A joint team of archaeologists from the Cultural Relics and Archeology Research Institute of Sichuan Province, Peking University, Sichuan University and other research institutions have been excavating the six wells at the site since 2020.
In the most recent expedition, archaeologists found 3,155 relatively intact relics, including more than 2,000 bronze pieces and statues, Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported.
New discoveries from the past
The researchers described a tortoise-shaped box made of bronze and jade as one of their most intriguing finds, saying it was the first time they had discovered such an item.
“It would not be an exaggeration to say that the vessel is unique given its distinctive shape, fine craftsmanship and ingenious design. ” Li Haichao, a professor at Sichuan University, told Xinhua.
A three-foot bronze altar was also found in one of the wells, where people of the Shu civilization are believed to have made offerings to heaven, earth and their ancestors.
Traces around the pits of bamboo, reeds, soybeans, cattle and wild boar suggest they were all offered as sacrifices.
Ancient cultural exchanges
Ran Honglin, director of the Sanxingdui Archeology and Cultural Relics Research Institute, told Xinhua that the diversity of items at the site shows cultural exchanges between ancient civilizations in China.
He noted that one of the carvings with the head of a human and the body of a snake was characteristic of the ancient Shu civilization, while the ceremonial vessels known as “zun” at the site were culturally emblematic of Zhongyuan, a plains region known as the center of the China.
More cultural relics unearthed in Sanxingdui were also seen in other locations in China, evidencing the early exchange and integration of Chinese civilization,” Ran said.
The 7.4 square kilometer archaeological site has yielded thousands of ancient artifacts since a local farmer found it in the 1920s. Treasures such as a golden mask weighing around 100 grams, ivory relics and a jade knife were among the artifacts discovered. last year.
Although not yet recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sanxingdui is on the organization’s “provisional list” for consideration.
Source: CNN Brasil
