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More about The Finds at Sanxingdui

Pit 2 at Sanxingdui held more than sixty tusks. The layer below was filled with bronze heads and masks.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The two pits excavated at Sanxingdui in Sichuan province are among the most fascinating of recent finds in Chinese archaeology. They were discovered by workers at a local brick factory in the summer of 1986, just outside a walled settlement that had already been excavated. The two pits were filled with bronze objects, jades, and elephant tusks that had been buried (probably as offerings). The objects in Pit 1 had been burned before burial. The finds in Pit 2 (right) were in three distinct layers: on top were some sixty elephant tusks, next came large bronze objects (including Bronze standing figure and Bronze human head with gold leaf), and below were jade and stone implements, animal masks, and some smaller bronzes.

While the site, which is roughly contemporary with the tomb of Fu Hao (late Shang), needs further study, the objects clearly indicate the presence of a strong regional culture with sophisticated religious practices and advanced bronze-casting technology (see see More About Excavations at the Tomb of Fu Hao, Ivory goblet inlaid with turquoise, and Bronze owl-shaped vessel). In contrast to Shang burials, these offering pits show no evidence of human sacrifice, but they do reveal a marked interest in the human form, especially the face.

The Sanxingdui finds are exciting, but they remain enigmatic. No texts have been found, nor is there any mention of this culture in the records of other states, either during or after the late Shang period. Analysis of lead and other elements in the bronzes indicates sources similar to those of other cultures along the Lower Yangzi river basin. Some Chinese archaeologists and historians have attempted to link this culture with the later Shu culture, which was also centered in Sichuan. At this point, however, the unique culture that produced these artifacts remains a mystery

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Bronze human head with gold leaf

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Bronze Standing Figure

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Bronze Owl Shaped Figure

[pabianice]

Look Gao'uld to me.

[farmfriend]

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[yankeedame]

But what no one could have expected was that this particular discovery would rewrite Chinese history( Oh! Well, that would be a first wouldn't it?) by unearthing a culture contemporary with the first civilizations of China...

( The Chou Dynasty [1,122BC-250BC] is generally considered to be the first "real" civilization in China. "Real" in that we have written works, items and objects that we can trace back to this age. The Chou overthrew the historically-hazy-too-much-lost-in-the-mists-of-time Shang Dynasty. But Chou or Shang or whatever China, up until the year 221BC or so, under the unifying Ch'in Dynasty, was a thousand+ piece quilt of petty kingdoms. So why the amazement at discovering a "contemporary culture"? The place was lousy with them!)

...but that had left no clues in historical records, that seemingly disappeared without a trace and which left artifacts never before discovered elsewhere in China. ( I hate to be the skunk at the picnic but it is just possible - and probable - that this culture was absorbed? )

If interested in ancient China try Ssu-ma Chien ("The Grand Historian of China") who wrote his Chronicals dealing with the history of China from antiquity down through his own time (c.100BC)

[cavan]

Here are many pictures from an exhibit at the Met Museum:

http://www.metmuseum.org/special/se_event.asp?OccurrenceId={694886CB-280A-11D5-93F2-00902786BF44}

[SunkenCiv]

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[SunkenCiv]

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