The newly exhibited bronze bu jar (upper left), the gold mask (lower left), and a branch of the second bronze divine tree (right) at Sanxingdui Museum Photo: XINHUA

Between 2022 and 2024, archaeologists discovered over 400 significant architectural foundations, ash pits, ash ditches, and deposits related to stone tool processing at the Sanxingdui site. In addition, more than 4,000 artifacts, including pottery, jade ware, and stone tools were unearthed. These discoveries have pinpointed the “workshop” where the exquisite jade and stone artifacts of Sanxingdui were crafted. Radiocarbon dating places this “workshop” in the mid-Shang Dynasty, approximately 3500 to 3400 years ago, predating the Sanxingdui sacrificial pits.

Discovery of jade workshop

The newly unearthed artifacts include raw materials, waste materials, and both finished and semi-finished jade and stone tools, many of which bear clear processing marks. The new finds, including agate raw material pits, deposits of stone raw and waste material, jade and stone fragment accumulations, and stone axe pits, are inseparable from the production and processing of jade ware and stone tools, representing different stages of production. Archaeologists have preliminarily identified these remains as a workshop dedicated to stone and jade processing, marking the first discovery of handicraft workshops at the Sanxingdui site. This workshop is located about one kilometer north of the eight sacrificial pits of Sanxingdui. 

Sanxingdui, one of the sites with the largest number of unearthed jade artifacts in China, has yielded an impressive quantity of exquisite jade artifacts in various shapes. Among them, a raised jade carving depicting a person in profile, wearing a hat, with oval eyes, a high nose, and a large mouth, vividly resembles the jade figures unearthed from the later Shijiahe culture (c. 2400–1900 BCE) in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. “The discovery of the ‘workshop’ sheds light on several mysteries, such as the origins of the large quantities of jade and stone raw materials found at Sanxingdui, the techniques used in their crafting, the production process, and the distribution methods involved,” said Ran Honglin, head of the Sanxingdui Site Workstation of the Sichuan Provincial Cultural Relics and Archaeology Research Institute.

Outlining ancient urban layout of Sanxingdui

The newly discovered workshop and architectural foundations, along with the latest archaeological evidence, such as the newly confirmed water gates [a type of gate installed in ancient city walls to permit the entrance and exit of river waters] and city gates, indicate that over 3000 years ago, the ancient city of Sanxingdui already had a well-defined urban planning system.

The Sanxingdui site, located in Guanghan, Sichuan Province, covers an area of about 12 square kilometers, with its core area being an ancient city surrounded by high walls. Despite some damage to the city walls, archaeologists have restored the basic layout of the city site based on surveys of the existing walls. The Sanxingdui ancient city site covers about 3.6 square kilometers, with its main axis running northwest-southeast. This orientation reflects the ancient Shu people’s adaptation to the local geography, aligning with the terrain of the surrounding mountains and rivers of their time. This layout not only facilitated water access for production and living but also enabled external communication via waterways, reflecting advanced urban planning concepts.

The newly discovered structures at the Sanxingdui site were built using various methods. Notably, 15 elliptical cross-section column foundations filled with burnt soil shards, some mixed with numerous small agate shards, were found. These foundations supported a large-scale ancient building structure, covering an area of about 150 to 200 square meters, likely used by high-ranking officials of the time. Additionally, the orientation of this architectural foundation and the workshop, as well as the arrangement of artifacts in the pits, follows the northwest-southeast direction. This alignment is consistent with the previously discovered eight sacrificial pits, the Qingguanshan Palace foundations [an artificial rammed-earth terrace with an area of approximately 1,000 square meters, where a palace was probably located], and the entire layout of the Sanxingdui ancient city.

The overall layout of the Sanxingdui ancient city is now largely understood. Bordered to the north by the Yazi river [a tributary of the Tuo River], the city is bisected into northern and southern parts by the meandering Mamu River. The northern section contains the palace area and handicraft workshop, while the southern section houses the sacrificial area. Water gates are located to the east and west, facilitating water management and access. Thick city walls protect the city, and multiple city gates and roads connect the city with the surrounding areas.

New exhibition 

As of June 2024, cleaning and preservation work on over 4,000 unearthed artifacts has been completed. The Sanxingdui Cultural Relics Protection and Restoration Team plans to complete the cleaning of more than 12,000 artifacts within the next six years.

Recently, the “Protection and Restoration Achievement of Sanxingdui Newly Unearthed Cultural Relics” exhibition officially opened to the public at the Sanxingdui Museum in Guanghan, Sichuan. The exhibition features over 50 cultural relics, including bronzes, gold artifacts, and jade artifacts, with over 90% of the items being exhibited for the first time. Attracting a large number of visitors is a bronze bu [an ancient wine vessel] jar unearthed from Sacrificial Pit 8 of the Sanxingdui site. Bronzeware of this type has never been exhibited before. The bu jar has a rounded body covered with scrolling cloud motifs. The most eye-catching feature is the ring of raised fish-shaped patterns above the belly, which are delicate, exquisite, and full of dynamism. According to Yu Jian, deputy director of the Sanxingdui Museum in Guanghan, the previously unearthed bu jars from Pits 1 and 2 were deformed and incomplete, whereas this newly unearthed jar is well preserved. Its patterns and shape suggest that it should date to an earlier period in Sanxingdui’s history. Currently, more scientific research is needed to determine the jar’s exact function.

Another newly exhibited bronze artifact is a kneeling figure with a twisted head. When unearthed, it was in a poor condition. Instead of using traditional welding and splicing techniques, the restoration team employed physical reinforcement to restore it. Yu Jian stated that a CT scan of this artifact confirmed that many Sanxingdui bronzes were created using mold-casting techniques, with some casting methods involving core support technology [in mold casting, particularly when creating hollow objects, a core support is used to maintain the shape and position of the core within the mold, so as to ensure the structural integrity and the intended hollow areas of the final cast object]. This finding provides key information for studying the casting techniques of the Sanxingdui bronzes.

In this exhibition, experts utilized digital technology to present the second bronze divine tree of Sanxingdui in its entirety for the first time. The second divine tree is a restored bronze piece, with its components unearthed from Pits 2, 3, 7, and 8. In subsequent rounds of excavations, many branches of the second divine tree were discovered. To restore it to its original appearance, the Sanxingdui Museum digitally scanned over 30 fragments and virtually restored them based on common fracture lines. Finally, with the aid of AI technology, these remnants “grew” into a divine tree standing 2.88 meters tall. In the video of the virtually restored divine tree, it appears about 1 meter shorter than the first divine tree, with a slightly different shape. In contrast to the hollow craftsmanship of the bronze birds on the first divine tree, all the birds on the second tree are solid castings.

Edited by REN GUANHONG