Explainer | Why archaeologists are so excited by China’s Sanxingdui ruins

Ancient treasure trove reveals deep connections between the mysterious Shu kingdom and other early Chinese settlements

Thousands of intricate relics of gold, bronze, jade and ivory have been found, all relating to sacrificial activities

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A bronze head, excavated from the Sanxingdui ruins in Sichuan province, southwestern China, where archaeologists have discovered thousands of exquisite items. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 4:00pm, 15 Jun 2022Updated: 9:35am, 16 Jun 2022

The Sanxingdui archaeology site in the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan is considered one of the most important discoveries of the 20th century, shedding light on a little-known culture that flourished more than 3,000 years ago.

Since its discovery, Chinese archaeologists have unearthed about 13,000 items from the site, including 3,155 largely complete artefacts.

What have the experts found?

Archaeologists have uncovered a treasure trove of bronze, gold, jade and ivory objects, all related to sacrificial activities, in a series of pits that lay undisturbed until the mid-1980s.

A gold mask discovered last year attracted international attention and has been dated back about 3,000 years. Archaeologists also unearthed the largest bronzeware so far found at the site – another mask measuring 74cm tall and 135cm wide (29 x 53 inches).

Recent discoveries have included an intricate bronze altar and a box, also of bronze, with four dragon head handles and a piece of jade inside.

When were the ruins discovered?

The Sanxingdui ruins were first uncovered in the late 1920s, in Guanghan city, about 40km (25 miles) north of the provincial capital Chengdu. The breakthrough discovery came six decades later – two sacrificial pits containing more than 1,700 artefacts.

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