Over 3,400-year-old jade, stone ‘workshop’ discovered at legendary Sanxingdui Ruins
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Archeological authorities have recently unveiled groundbreaking discoveries, including a jade and stone artifact “workshop” dating back more than 3,400 years, at the legendary Sanxingdui Ruins site.
The new finds offer vital insights into the origins of various precious cultural relics and highlight the remarkable achievements of ancient Chinese civilization.
Discovered in the late 1920s in the city of Guanghan, southwest China’s Sichuan Province, the Sanxingdui Ruins have been dubbed as one of the world’s greatest archeological finds of the 20th century.
The provincial cultural relics and archeology research institute said yesterday that since 2022, more than 400 sites have been identified, including high-level building foundations, ash pits, ash ditches, and stone artifacts production and processing sites at Sanxingdui. More than 4,000 artifacts, including pottery, jadeware and stoneware, have been unearthed.
To date, more than 60,000 cultural relics have been unearthed at Sanxingdui. The new Sanxingdui Museum has attracted over 5 million visitors from around the world since its opening nearly a year ago.
Among the notable new finds is a jade and stone artifact processing site, revealing the source of the previously discovered cultural relics there.
Located approximately 1 kilometer north of the previously unearthed sacrificial pits, this latest discovery marks significant progress in the archeological excavation at Sanxingdui, the research institute said, noting that the archeologists have preliminarily identified this site as a jade and stone production workshop.
The newly found artifacts include raw jade and stone materials, waste materials, fragments and finished pieces, suggesting a relatively complete chain of handicrafts.
“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 processes and the distribution methods involved,” said Ran Honglin, who is in charge of the archeological work at Sanxingdui Ruins site, under the research institute.
Ancient city
Covering an area of 12 square kilometers, the ruins are believed to be the remnants of the Shu Kingdom, dating back some 4,500 to 3,000 years.
Based on the newly confirmed city gates, water gates and roads, and combined with earlier discoveries of the sacrificial and palace areas, archeologists believe that the core area of the ruins is a meticulously planned ancient city, surrounded by tall city walls, with an area of approximately 3.6 square kilometers.
The city’s northern and southern parts are divided by a river, with the northern section housing the palace and workshop areas, while the southern part contains the sacrificial area. Water gates were situated on the eastern and western sides, and the city was surrounded by thick and sturdy walls with gates and roads, connecting it to the surrounding regions.
“The archeological discoveries and research into the layout and planning of the Sanxingdui ancient city highlight the wisdom of ancient residents, underscoring the depth and enduring legacy of the ancient Chinese civilization,” said Sun Hua, a professor from the School of Archeology and Museology at Peking University.
Lei Yu, curator of Sanxingdui Museum, believes that large cities from the Shang Dynasty (16th century-11th century BC) often had concentrated areas for handicraft workshops, similar to modern industrial zones.
“Following these clues, it may be possible to locate additional workshops for bronze-making, gold-making and more,” Lei said.
International recognition
Since the first scientific archeological excavation in 1934, Sanxingdui has continuously drawn global attention. Domestic and international experts and scholars from various fields have been invited to participate in the research of the ruins.
So far, cultural relics from the site have been exhibited overseas more than 70 times, reaching more than 100 cities in countries such as the United States, Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Singapore, attracting over 10 million visitors.
Last month, Sanxingdui cultural relics were displayed in Egypt, Greece and Sweden. The international public has not only marveled at the artifacts but also noted China’s advancements in archeology.
Jessica Rawson, a renowned British archeologist, historian and sinologist, praised the Sanxingdui excavation’s approach, which includes simultaneous protection and excavation, interdisciplinary integration and multi-team cooperation.
She also commended the innovative technologies used by Chinese archeologists, such as the constant-temperature and constant-humidity excavation chambers and on-site emergency protection platforms.
Rowan Flad, an archeologist from Harvard, visited the Sanxingdui site earlier this month and engaged with Chinese experts on various aspects of the excavation, including bronzes casting techniques, ivory micro-sculpture and the jade and stone workshop.
The discoveries at Sanxingdui showcase the brilliant and splendid ancient Shu Kingdom culture, highlighting the diversity and unity of Chinese civilization. These findings are crucial for understanding the development and evolution of early Chinese civilization, Flad said.
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